WOMEN AND EQUALITIES

Mental Health

John Pugh: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities what steps she is taking to promote good mental health and well-being within her Department.

Damian Green: The Home Office is a signatory to the Charter of Employers which is part of the Mindful Employer initiative which is aimed at increasing awareness of mental health at work. In addition to this, the Home Office has a national programme of mental health training for managers which increases awareness of mental health and educates managers on understanding and managing mental health in the workplace.
	The Home Office has introduced a Well-being Framework to promote the well-being of staff at work. Several initiatives are programmed throughout the year in support of well-being to improve employee's knowledge of health, fitness and lifestyle issues. Information on the Home Office policy and well-being framework, as well as supporting guidance and e-learning packages, are available to line managers and staff on the Home Office intranet.
	The Home Office has in place an Employee Assistance Programme which provides a confidential 24 hour/365 days telephone line staffed by fully qualified counsellors, to staff and their dependents on a range of issues including mental health. Staff can also contact the Home Office Disability Support Network (HODS) for confidential advice. In addition the Department may also refer individual cases to its Occupational Health Service provider, where the line manager and the Department need independent medical advice.

COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Empty Property: Bedfordshire

Nadine Dorries: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent estimate he has made of the number of empty houses in the Mid Bedfordshire area.

Andrew Stunell: Data on empty homes can be found in the Department for Communities and Local Government live tables on dwelling stock. Live table 615 shows empty homes by local authority district:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/housing/housingresearch/housingstatistics/housingstatisticsby/stockincludingvacants/livetables/

Government Procurement Card

Rachel Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government on which dates his Department has published Government procurement card spending over £500 since May 2010.

Bob Neill: This Department is at the forefront of transparency in Whitehall. Since August 2010 my Department has been publishing details of all transactions for goods and services of £500 or more, matching the level required of councils.
	Spend on the Department's Government Procurement Cards was £70,835 in 2011-12, compared to £321,076 in 2009-10. The Department has taken a series of steps, including greater transparency, to improve financial controls on Government Procurement Card spending and I refer the hon. Member to the answers given on 12 January 2012, Official Report, columns 386-87W and 12 January 2012, Official Report, House of Lords, columns WA107-108.
	The Department routinely publishes Government Procurement Card expenditure on the DCLG website. This data has been published on the following dates:
	
		
			 Date published Period 
			 26 January 2012 1 April 2009 to 11 May 2010 
			 28 February 2011 12 May 2010 to 31 January 2011 
			 3 June 2011 February to April 2011 
			 26 July 2011 Expenditure for May 2011 
			 8 August 2011 Expenditure for June 2011 
			 16 September 2011 Expenditure for July 2011 
			 4 September 2011 Expenditure for August 2011 
			 27 October 2011 Expenditure for September 2011 
			 20 January 2012 Expenditure for October 2011 
			 26 January 2012 Expenditure for November 2011 
			 10 February 2012 Expenditure for December 2011 
			 2 March 2012 Expenditure for January 2012 
			 28 June 2012 Expenditure May 2012 
		
	
	There were no transactions of £500 or more on Government Procurement Cards between February 2012 and April 2012.
	My Department has also published full details of our Government Procurement Card spend on the Freedom of Information disclosure log of our website:
	
		
			 Date published Period 
			 11 July 2011 2006-11 
			 31 May 2011 2008-11 
			 20 May 2011 2010-11

Housing: Expenditure

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much his Department has spent on (a) capital and (b) revenue expenditure on housing in each region in England in each of the last five years.

Andrew Stunell: holding answer 3 July 2012
	The Department does not currently collect actual spend data on a regional basis.
	Departmental reports up to and including 2009's Annual Report and the Core Financial and Performance Tables for 2009-10 contain information on regional spending by function. These are available at:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/corporate/about/howwework/corporatereports/reportsaccounts/annualreports/
	Further analysis would be at disproportionate cost.

Public Expenditure

Nadine Dorries: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much funding has been spent on (a) homes bonuses and (b) social impact bonds since their inception.

Grant Shapps: My Department has provided £333.5 million to date in New Homes Bonus grants to local authorities. This includes rewarding councils for an increase of nearly 137,000 homes between October 2010 and October 2011, and bringing a further 22,000 back into use. The total to be distributed in 2011-12 and 2012-13 will be £631.2 million.
	The Ministry of Justice launched the world's first social impact bond in 2010, aiming to reduce reoffending among short-sentence prisoners released from Peterborough prison. The return for investors will depend on the degree of success in reducing reconvictions, up to an overall cap of around £8 million. The results for the first cohort will be known in 2014.
	The Department for Work and Pensions is supporting further social impact bonds under its Innovation Fund, targeting disadvantaged young people and those at risk of disadvantage. Six social investment projects have so far been selected for support. The available funding is up to £30 million over three years from 2012.

Public Expenditure: Bedfordshire

Nadine Dorries: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many (a) homes bonuses and (b) social impact bonds have been issued in the Mid Bedfordshire area.

Grant Shapps: New Homes Bonus is paid to local authorities. The Mid Bedfordshire parliamentary constituency contains parts of both Bedford Unitary Authority and Central Bedfordshire Unitary Authority. Details for these are given in the following table. It is not possible to disaggregate New Homes Bonus funding by ward.
	
		
			 £ 
			 Authority 2011-12 2012-13(1) 
			 Bedford UA 1,087,251 820,482 
			 Central Bedfordshire UA 1,120,673 902,250 
			 Total 2,207,924 1,722,732 
			 (1) To date 
		
	
	This represents payments to date. The total allocations to be received in 2012-13 are: £2,640,145 for Bedford Unitary Authority, and £2,903,284 for Central Bedfordshire Unitary Authority.
	While none of the social impact bonds so far established by Government operate in the Mid Bedfordshire area, the Cabinet Office is promoting the development of more social impact bonds in central and local government.

WALES

Business: Capital Investment

Owen Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what estimate she has made of likely growth in business investment in Wales in 2012.

Cheryl Gillan: Recent figures released by the Office for National Statistics show that business investment in the UK for the first quarter of 2012 rose by £0.6 billion to £30.5 billion (1.9%) when compared with the previous quarter and has increased by £3.9 billion (14.8%) when compared with the first quarter of 2011. These figures are not available on a sub-national level.

Capital Allowances

Owen Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if she will assess the effect of reductions in capital allowances on the Welsh economy.

Cheryl Gillan: The capital allowances changes announced at Budget 2010 formed part of a wider package of reforms to the corporate tax system and contributed to financing the reductions in the main rate of corporation tax and small profits rate.

Construction

Owen Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what assessment she has made of the effect of the recession on the construction industry in Wales.

Cheryl Gillan: The Regional Labour Market Statistics released by the Office for National Statistics in June 2012 show an increase of 1,000 workforce jobs in the construction industry in Wales between March 2011 and March 2012.
	The longer term trend for the index of production and construction for Wales in the quarter 4 2011 statistical release from the Welsh Government shows a rise in output of 5.8% when comparing the latest four quarters compared to the previous four quarters.

Disability Living Allowance

Owen Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if she will estimate the average change in the level of benefits for disability allowance claimants in Wales up to 2015.

Maria Miller: I have been asked to reply 
	on behalf of the Department for Work and Pensions.
	Benefit expenditure forecasts, which include disability living allowance, are produced only at Great Britain level; these are published at:
	http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd4/index.php?page=expenditure
	Disability living allowance is uprated by consumer prices index (CPI).

Hotels

Owen Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many times she has required overnight accommodation in Wales in her official role since May 2010.

Cheryl Gillan: I have required overnight accommodation in Wales around 50 times. This is often to attend early morning meetings or where it is more practical to travel the evening before because of the distances involved.

Hotels

Owen Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much her Department has spent on hotel accommodation in Wales since May 2010.

David Jones: The Wales Office has spent £17,322 on hotel accommodation in Wales since May 2010. The Department has offices in both London and Cardiff, and staff frequently have to travel to Wales and London for early morning meetings. In terms of overall spend on hotel accommodation, between 2010 and 2012 the Wales Office has made savings of over £27,000 compared to the previous two years.

Income Tax

Owen Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales 
	(1)  what proportion of workers in Wales will pay a reduced level of income tax as a result of the reduction in the additional rate;
	(2)  what discussions she has had with ministerial colleagues on the effect in Wales of the decision to reduce the additional rate of income tax;
	(3)  what assessment she has had made of the effect of reducing the additional rate of income tax on the Welsh economy.

Cheryl Gillan: I have regular discussions with ministerial colleagues on a range of issues affecting taxpayers in Wales including the decision to reduce the additional rate of income tax.
	Projections of the number of higher and additional rate taxpayers for Wales up to 2012-13 are published on the HMRC website in table 2.2 at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/income_tax/menu.htm
	These figures show that there are an estimated 5,000 additional rate income taxpayers in Wales in 2012-13.
	Introducing the additional rate of income tax is estimated to have reduced the UK GDP by between 0.2 and 0.3%. No assessment has yet been made on a sub-national level.

Inflation: Standard of Living

Owen Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what assessment she has made of the effect of inflation on the living standards of people in Wales in the last 18 months.

Cheryl Gillan: Despite the difficult conditions inflation is falling. CPI inflation, as the hon. Gentleman will be aware, fell for the second month running to 2.8% from 3.0% in April. This will improve the living standards of the people of Wales.

Redundancy: Public Sector

Owen Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales 
	(1)  how many public sector jobs she expects to be lost in Wales up to 2015;
	(2)  if she will assess the effect on the Welsh economy of public sector job losses up to 2015.

Cheryl Gillan: The Office for Budget Responsibility has made public sector employment predictions for the UK based on macro-economic data and at present there are no sub-national figures available.

Social Rented Housing

Owen Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many social housing tenants there are in Wales aged between 16 and 24 years.

Cheryl Gillan: This is a matter for the Welsh Government.

Social Security Benefits

Owen Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many people in Wales she estimates will be affected by the Government's proposals for welfare reform.

Cheryl Gillan: Detailed information on the impact of specific reforms being taken forward through the Welfare Reform Act is available at the following link:
	http://www.dwp.gov.uk/policy/welfare-reform/legislation-and-key-documents/welfare-reform-act-2012/impact-assessments-and-equality/

Strategic Defence and Security Review

Owen Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales 
	(1)  what recent assessment she has made of progress towards the objective in her Department's business plan to represent Welsh interests in the implementation of the Strategic Defence and Security Review;
	(2)  what assessment she has made of the potential effect on Wales of the implementation of the Strategic Defence and Security Review;
	(3)  how many meetings she has had with ministerial colleagues on the potential effects of the implementation of the Strategic Defence and Security Review on Wales.

Cheryl Gillan: I have regular discussions with ministerial colleagues about defence matters in Wales. The Strategic Defence and Security Review is part of a continuing process to deliver a sustainable defence programme for the future.
	The Wales Office works on an ongoing basis to ensure Welsh interests are fully taken into account by the Ministry of Defence, for example in areas such as the decision that was taken confirming that 160 Brigade would remain in Brecon following last year's Defence estate and basing plans review.

Taxation

Owen Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what assessment she has made of the effect on the average family in Wales of tax and spending changes taking effect from April 2012.

Cheryl Gillan: We have given a commitment to make the first £10,000 of income free from income tax and announced a further increase to the personal allowance of £1,100 in April 2013 that will take 95,000 of the lowest paid workers in Wales out of tax altogether We are uprating child tax credits so that families see an increase of £135 per child this year, in addition to the £180 per child over inflation families received last year.
	We have also cut fuel duty and scrapped the previous government's escalator meaning that average pump prices are approximately 10p per litre lower than they would be under the previous Government's plans.
	All of these tax and spending changes will deliver real benefits to families across Wales.

Taxis

Owen Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much her Department has spent on taxis and hire cars since May 2010.

David Jones: The Wales Office has spent £8,292.74 on taxis and hire cars since May 2010, of which £6,821.09 was for access to work for disabled staff members. The balance was for staff travelling very early in the morning or late in the evening when public transport was not available to or from the station.

Unemployment

Owen Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what the change has been in the level of (a) unemployment, (b) youth unemployment and (c) long-term youth unemployment in Wales since May 2010.

Cheryl Gillan: Claimant count unemployment in these categories has risen since May 2010. However, we have seen a welcome fall in the levels over recent months.

VAT

Owen Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what representations her Department has received from organisations in Wales on the changes contained in the VAT: Addressing Borderline Anomalies consultation document.

David Jones: The Wales Office received representations from a number of individual caravan parks and park owners in Wales as well as the National Caravan Council, Mid Wales Tourism and the Wales Tourism Alliance in respect of the changes to VAT on the sale of static caravans proposed in the consultation. In addition, the proposed changes to VAT on improvements to listed buildings were also raised by one correspondent. I subsequently had a meeting with the Economic Secretary to the Treasury, my hon. Friend the Member for Norwich North (Miss Smith), when I reflected those views expressed.

VAT

Owen Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what assessment she has made of the effect on the Welsh economy of the increase in the standard rate of VAT.

Cheryl Gillan: The increase in the standard rate of VAT was an important element in the deficit reduction strategy. No assessment of the effects of this increase have been made at a sub-national level.

Welfare Tax Credits

Owen Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many households in Wales will no longer be eligible for tax credits as a result of changes proposed by the Government.

Cheryl Gillan: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer given by the Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury, my hon. Friend the Member for South West Hertfordshire (Mr Gauke), to the hon. Member for Wrexham (Ian Lucas), on 23 April 2012, Official Report, column 610W.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Asylum

Nicholas Dakin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps she has taken to ensure that (a) failed asylum seekers and (b) refugees have access to adequate accommodation, food and other essential items whilst in the UK.

Damian Green: The support available to failed asylum seekers under section 4 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 includes the provision of accommodation and a weekly allowance to obtain food and other essential items. Refugees can access the mainstream benefits system on the same terms as British citizens and other permanent residents.

Asylum: Children

Nicholas Dakin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps she is taking to ensure that children do not become destitute as a result of having financial support withdrawn in the event of a failed application for asylum.

Damian Green: Support is not withdrawn in the circumstances described. Asylum seekers with children are supported by the UK Border Agency under section 95 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999. Eligibility to this support lasts until they leave the United Kingdom or they are granted leave to remain and can access the mainstream benefits system. Unaccompanied asylum seeking children are supported by local authorities irrespective of their immigration status.

Asylum: Children

Nicholas Dakin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether her Department monitors the numbers of all asylum-seeking and migrant children living in poverty.

Damian Green: There are no such monitoring arrangements. All asylum seeking children have access to support if they need it. The support is provided by the UK Border Agency if they are with their parents or by local authorities if they are unaccompanied. Other migrant children have to satisfy the immigration rules in order to enter the United Kingdom, including requirements that their families can support them without recourse to public funds. The Children Acts also act as a safeguard in circumstances where the child's welfare is at risk.

Convention on the Protection of Children against Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of the extent to which the UK is compliant with Article (a) 25 and (b) 38 of the Council of Europe Convention on the Protection of Children against Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse.

Lynne Featherstone: holding answer 2 July 2012
	As you will be aware, officials across a number of Government Departments are currently considering the steps that would be required to ratify and implement the Council of Europe Convention, including the extent to which the UK is compliant with all of the provisions in the convention, including Article (a) 25 and (b) 38.

Crime: Maps

Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have used the CrimeMap website in each year for which figures are available.

Nick Herbert: Since its launch in January 2011, Police.uk has received more than 50 million visits.

Dispersal Orders

Gloria De Piero: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many dispersal orders under section 30 of the Anti-social Behaviour Act 2003 were issued in (a) England and Wales, (b) Nottinghamshire and (c) Ashfield constituency in the last three years.

James Brokenshire: The Home Office does not hold this information.

Essex Police Authority

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what mechanism exists for the public to complain about decisions taken by Essex Police; and if she will make a statement.

Nick Herbert: The public can complain about the decisions taken by the police either to the police force concerned or the Independent Police Complaints Commission.

Essex Police Authority

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions she has had with Essex police authority on (a) overspend and (b) underspend by the authority since July 2010; and if she will make a statement.

Nick Herbert: The Secretary of State for the Home Department, my right hon. Friend the Member for Maidenhead (Mrs May), has not had discussions with Essex police authority concerning its budget. Management of budgets is a matter for each individual police authority or police and crime commissioner.

Essex Police: Sick Leave

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many days sickness absence were recorded in Essex police force (a) in total and (b) per officer in each of the last three years for which information is available; and if she will make a statement.

Nick Herbert: The information collected by the Home Office is in terms of contracted hours lost to sickness. These data are provided within the table, together with hours per officer for Essex police officers, in the three years to 2010-11.
	
		
			 Number of contracted hours lost to sickness and contracted hours lost to sickness per officer, for Essex police officers, 2008-09 to 2010-11(1)(, 2) 
			  Number of contracted hours lost to sickness Number of police officers Number of contracted hours lost to sickness per officer 
			 2008-09 246,184 3,484 71 
			 2009-10 234,760 3,606 65 
			 2010-11 153,840 3,577 43 
			 (1) Data are provisional and have not been verified by forces. 2. Short-term sick leave is any period of seven calendar days or less, medium-term is any period of between eight and 28 days, long-term sick leave is any period of more than 28 days.

EU Justice and Home Affairs

Lorely Burt: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which EU measures formerly under the third pillar have not yet been implemented by her Department; when such measures are expected to be implemented; and if she will make a statement.

James Brokenshire: The following third pillar measures have not been fully implemented:
	Council Framework Decision 2003/577/JHA of 22 July 2003 on the execution in the European Union of orders freezing property or evidence.
	Council Decision 2005/211/JHA of 24 February 2005 concerning the introduction of some new functions for the Schengen Information System, including in the fight against terrorism.
	Council Decision 2006/228/JHA of 9 March 2006 fixing the date of application of certain provisions of Decision 2005/211/JHA concerning the introduction of some new functions for the Schengen Information System, including the fight against terrorism.
	Council Decision 2006/229/JHA of 9 March 2006 fixing the date of application of certain provisions of Decision 2005/211/JHA concerning the introduction of some new functions for the Schengen Information System, including the fight against terrorism.
	Council Decision 2006/631/JHA of 9 March 2006 fixing the date of application of certain provisions of Decision 2005/211/JHA concerning the introduction of some new functions for the Schengen Information System, including the fight against terrorism.
	Council Framework Decision 2006/783/JHA of 6 October 2006 on the application of the principle of mutual recognitions to confiscation orders Council Decision 2008/615/JHA of 23 June 2008 on stepping up of cross-border cooperation, particularly in combating terrorism and cross-border crime.
	Council Decision 2008/616/JHA of 23 June 2008 on the implementation of Council Decision 2008/615/JHA on stepping up of cross-border cooperation, particularly in combating terrorism and cross-border crime.
	Council Framework Decision 2008/978/JHA of 18 December 2008 on the European evidence warrant for the purpose of obtaining objects, documents and data for use in proceedings in criminal matters.
	Council Framework Decision 2009/905/JHA of 30 November 2009 on accreditation of forensic service providers carrying out laboratory activities.
	Future implementation of these measures will be considered on a case by case basis.

Gating Orders

Gloria De Piero: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many gating orders were issued by local authorities in (a) England and Wales, (b) Nottinghamshire and (c) Ashfield constituency in the last three years.

James Brokenshire: The Home Office does not hold the information requested.

Government Procurement Card

Rachel Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many procurement card holders in (a) her Department and (b) the Government Equalities Office were (i) paid off-payroll, (ii) employed on a part-time basis and (iii) employed as a non-permanent employee in (A) 2009-10, (B) 2010-11 and (C) 2011-12.

Damian Green: The number of GPC cardholders who were paid off-payroll, employed on a part-time basis and employed as a non-permanent employee in the Home Office including its Executive agencies is as follows:
	
		
			 Financial year Number off GPC cardholders paid off-payroll Number GPC cardholders employed on a part-time basis Number of GPC cardholders employed as a non-permanent employee 
			 2010-11 16 103 18 
			 2011-12 4 88 11 
		
	
	Information on the number of GPC cardholders employed in the Home Office and its Executive agencies in 2009-10 is not held centrally and to obtain the information would incur disproportionate cost.
	The Government Equalities Office (GEO) joined the Home Office under machinery of government changes in April 2011. Prior to that date no information on GPC cardholders was held.
	In 2011-12 no procurement card holders in GEO were paid off-payroll, employed on a part-time basis or employed as a non-permanent employee.

Graffiti

Gloria De Piero: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what information her Department holds on the number of defacement removal notices issued by local authorities in (a) England and Wales, (b) Nottinghamshire and (c) Ashfield constituency in the last three years.

James Brokenshire: The Home Office does not hold the information requested.

HM Inspectorate of Constabulary

Susan Elan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will introduce a requirement for the new Head of HM Inspectorate of Constabulary to have experience serving in a police force.

Nick Herbert: No. There has never been a requirement for the HM Chief Inspector of Constabulary to have been a serving police officer, and there are no plans to introduce this requirement.

Impact Assessments

Gloria De Piero: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) directions to leave under section 27 of the Violent Crime Reduction Act 2006, (b) premises closure orders, (c) crack house closure orders, (d) noisy premises closure orders and (e) closure orders under section 161 of the Licensing Act 2003 were issued in (i) England and Wales, (ii) Nottinghamshire and (iii) Ashfield in the last three years.

James Brokenshire: The Home Office does not hold the information requested.

Independent Police Complaints Commission

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many complaints lodged with the Independent Police Complaints Commission are outstanding (a) three to six months, (b) six months to one year and (c) in excess of one year after they were submitted; and if she will make a statement;
	(2)  what recent discussions she has with the Independent Police Complaints Commission on the time taken to deal with complaints lodged by members of the public; and if she will make a statement.

Nick Herbert: The Home Office does not hold this information. These matters are for the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC). The IPCC has written to the Member about the information sought. A copy of the letter has been placed in the House Library.
	The Home Office has regular discussions with the IPCC about its performance. The IPCC's annual report which provides detailed figures on their performance is due to be laid in Parliament in July.

Mephedrone

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many formal reviews were carried out before her decision to ban mephedrone.

James Brokenshire: The previous Government formally consulted the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) in late 2009 to consider the available evidence on mephedrone, and related cathinones. The ACMD advice is available at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/acmd1/acmdmephedrone
	A copy has also been placed in the Library of the House.
	Following the ACMD advice, and parliamentary approval, mephedrone was brought under the control of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 in April 2010.

Press Releases

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many press releases her Department has issued in the last 12 months.

Damian Green: The Home Office has issued 470 press releases in the last 12 months (1 June 2011-1 June 2012).

UK Border Agency

Stephen Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average cost per full-time equivalent member of staff spent by UK Border Agency on staff allocated to detection and intelligence work was in (a) 2009-10 and (b) each subsequent year for which figures are available.

Damian Green: Average costs per full-time equivalent members of staff are not broken down on the central personnel system by allocated function in the way described. To determine which staff were involved in detection and intelligence work over time would not be possible except at a disproportionate cost.

TREASURY

Aggregates Levy

Dan Rogerson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer with reference to the judgment of the European General Court in case T-210/02 RENV of 7 March 2012, 
	(1)  what plans the Government have to enforce the payment of the Aggregates Levy on the exploitation of aggregates which have previously been outside the Levy;
	(2)  what plans the Government have to review the operation of the Aggregates Levy.

Chloe Smith: The European General Court annulled the original decision by the European Commission in 2002 that a number of reliefs to the aggregates levy did not constitute State aid. The British Aggregates Association contended that the levy contained un-notified State aids in the form of materials which were relieved for environmental reasons when the tax was introduced in 2002.
	It is for the European Commission to make a new decision of whether the levy contains State aid and, if so, whether it is approvable.
	The Treasury keeps all taxes under review. Any potential change to the existing provisions within the levy will be determined through this ongoing review or by the Commission process.
	In the meantime, the Government will continue to collect the levy within the terms of the current legislation.

EU Budget

Priti Patel: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much the UK contributed to the EU in the most recent month for which figures are available.

Mark Hoban: After taking account of the UK abatement, the UK's total contribution to the EU Budget in June was £577,749,731.10. This consisted of two payments the first on 1 June (VAT-based and GNI-based contributions less the UK abatement), the second on 20 June (Traditional Own Resources).
	The Government are working hard, both in discussions on the annual EU Budget and elsewhere, to limit UK contributions from the increased levels the previous Government signed up to. We believe that it is only fair that the EU Budget plays its part in the difficult fiscal consolidation faced by many EU member states.

Income Tax and National Insurance

Anne-Marie Morris: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he expects to begin further consultation on options for the integration of the operation of income tax and national insurance contributions.

David Gauke: The Government remain committed to exploring the potential for the operational integration of income tax and national insurance contributions and will provide an update on this work in the autumn.
	Further details are available on the Treasury's website:
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/tax_income_nics.htm

Manchester Declaration

Stephen McPartland: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent contribution his Department has made to implementation of the 2005 Manchester Declaration.

Chloe Smith: The Treasury works closely with the Cabinet Office on driving forward public service reform, including through the Open Public Services agenda, through which the Government will provide regular updates on our progress with the digitalisation of public services.
	The 2005 Manchester Declaration ran until the end of 2010 and has been superseded at an e-Government level by the Malmo Declaration signed in November 2010 and its subsequent e-Government Action Plan (2011-15):
	http://ec.europa.eu/information_society/activities/egovernment/action_plan_2011_2015/index_en.htm

Motor Vehicles: Insurance

Margaret Ritchie: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the implications for his Department's policies of the report from the Office of Fair Trading on the cost of car insurance; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Hoban: The Government welcome and support the OFT's work highlighting the lack of control over vehicle repair and replacement services in the motor insurance market. This is another added pressure to increase motor insurance premiums faced by the insurance market. We expect the focus of competition between motor insurers to be on providing quality and value to customers; practices which drive up premiums without benefitting policyholders are unacceptable.
	The Government are mindful of the impact of the current cost of this insurance and has set out measures to tackle this by addressing the compensation culture, reducing legal costs and cutting red tape. In February the Prime Minister met with representatives of the industry to discuss these issues; agreed measures include the following:
	an industry commitment to pass savings onto customers resulting from a Government commitment to reduce the current £1,200 fee that lawyers can earn from small value personal injury claims;
	industry commitment to adjust premiums to reflect any reductions in legal costs created through the Jackson reforms that will reform “no win, no fee” and ban referral fees; and extending the road traffic accident claims process to cover employers liability and public liability; and
	the Government and insurance industry committed to work together to identify effective ways to reduce the number and cost of whiplash claims.
	We hope that the outcomes of the OFT's review add to the ongoing efforts to reduce costs for motorists.

Timber

Neil Parish: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the potential effect on the economy if the wood panel industry were to be displaced by the biomass industry; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Prisk: I have been asked to reply 
	on behalf of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.
	The wood panel industry makes a valuable contribution to the economy and to employment. The publication “Forestry Statistics 2011” shows that in 2009 the Gross Value Added (GVA) of the wood panel industry was £0.17 billion.
	A full assessment of the use of biomass, including the potential implications for the wood panel industry, is contained in the document UK Bioenergy strategy published on 25 April 2012. The Government's policy is set out as follows;
	“Support for bioenergy should aim to maximise the overall benefits and minimise costs (quantifiable and non-quantifiable) across the economy. Policy makers should consider the impacts and unintended consequences of policy interventions on the wider energy system and economy, including non-energy industries.”
	The document also presents evidence that
	“Optimal GHG (greenhouse gas) scenarios generally involve use of forest for the production of both material products and bioenergy, with re-use and recycling wherever possible.”

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Direct Selling

Robert Buckland: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what steps his Department is taking to tackle the problem of nuisance phone calls about (a) personal protection insurance and (b) other matters.

Edward Vaizey: While direct marketing is a legitimate business activity, unwanted and unsolicited calls about insurance or any other matter can be a nuisance. There are regulations in place that enable consumers to opt out of such calls by registering with the Telephone Preference Scheme (TPS). The Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR) 2003 provides the legislative underpinning for the scheme and the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) has enforcement responsibility and considers complaints about breaches.
	In May of last year, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) increased the ICO's powers in relation to the regulations, enabling the ICO to issue a fine of up to £500,000 for the most serious breaches. While these measures are available we are aware of the rising number of complaints that the current protections are not working as best as they could and we are keen to improve them.
	DCMS is discussing the effectiveness of the TPS with Ofcom, who are responsible for the contract, TPS and ICO. We are looking at measures to give consumers better protection and are seeking views on how the current consumer protections can be improved as part of the Communications Review.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Argentina

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations his Department has made to Argentina following its decision not to honour judgements on debt repayment by the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes and other courts; and if he will make a statement.

David Lidington: The Government of Argentina has made no formal announcement that it will not honour judgments on debt repayment by the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID). Therefore the British Government have made no representations to the Government of Argentina on this specific issue.
	The Government believe that all countries should abide by the obligations to which they have signed up under international treaties, including Bilateral Investment Treaties. This includes payment of compensation awarded for breaches of bilateral investment treaties, awarded by international arbitration tribunals, including those constituted under ICSID.
	The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), has publicly stated this Government's concerns at the nationalisation of Argentinean energy company Yacimientos Petroliferos Fiscales (YPF), reducing ownership by Spanish company Repsol substantially. This is the latest in a series of trade and investment related actions taken by Argentina which are damaging to business interests and will undermine Argentina's economy by reducing its attractiveness to international investors.

Burma

John Pugh: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment his Department has made of human rights abuses against the Rohingya people in Burma.

David Lidington: Despite the positive developments we have seen in Burma over the past year, the Rohingya continue to be denied citizenship and remain amongst the most discriminated against peoples in the world.
	The recent inter-communal violence in Rakhine State in western Burma has highlighted both the fragility of the situation in Burma, and has drawn further and much needed attention to the plight of the Rohingya. The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the hon. Member for Taunton Deane (Mr Browne), issued a statement on 10 June, which expressed his deep concern about the ongoing violence. We remain concerned about the humanitarian situation in Rakhine state which the UK and international community will continue to monitor very closely.
	The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), and the Prime Minister also raised this matter with senior members of the Burmese Government, and met with members of the Rohingya community to hear their concerns first hand, during their respective visits in January and April. Ministers also raised their concerns with Aung San Suu Kyi during her recent visit to the United Kingdom.
	Our ambassador to Burma regularly raises the ongoing discrimination of the Rohingya with the Burmese Government, including most recently with the Home Minister. We regularly speak with Rohingya groups, and non-governmental organisations monitoring the situation, both inside and outside the country. At the Human Rights Council in March we secured a resolution which expressed the need to recognise the Rohingya's right to nationality, and the urgent need to respect their human rights. We will continue to raise this issue with the Burmese Government, with international partners and in international organisations, until the matter is resolved.

Colombia

David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will raise attacks on trade unionists in Colombia with the Colombian Government.

David Lidington: The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the hon. Member for Taunton Deane (Mr Browne), discussed human rights with President Santos, Foreign Minister Holguin and Vice President Garzon during his visit to Colombia in March 2012.
	Our embassy in Bogota continues to raise our concerns about the violence and intimidation suffered by human rights defenders, including trade unionists, with the Colombian Government. Our embassy also funded a study by UN Development Programme last year into violence against trade unionists and is following up its recommendations with the Ministry of Labour.
	Human rights continue to be an integral part of our dialogue and relationship with Colombia. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office's 2011 Human Rights and Democracy Report outlined the important steps that the Santos Administration has taken to improve the human rights situation in Colombia, but also that more remains to be done. We urge the Colombian Government to provide greater protection for human rights defenders and their families, to reduce the length of time taken to investigate murders and forced disappearances, and to work with unions and employee organisations to strengthen labour relations in Colombia.

Manchester Declaration

Stephen McPartland: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent contribution his Department has made to implementation of the 2005 Manchester Declaration.

David Lidington: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office had no involvement in the implementation of the Manchester Declaration, which was led by the Cabinet Office.
	The i2010 action plan launched by the Declaration has been superseded by the Malmo Declaration and eGovernment Action plan (2011 to 2015) and the broader Digital Agenda for Europe, for which the Department for Culture, Media and Sport is the lead Department.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Tourism

Jessica Lee: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what recent discussions he has had with Ministers in the Northern Ireland Executive on providing support for tourism in Northern Ireland.

Mark Pawsey: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what recent discussions he has had with Ministers in the Northern Ireland Executive on providing support for tourism in Northern Ireland.

Hugo Swire: I regularly meet the Northern Ireland Minister responsible for tourism. We fully support the “NI2012: Our Time Our Place” initiative which is confidently putting Northern Ireland on the global tourism map.

Cross-border Trafficking

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what recent discussions he has had with the First Minister on people trafficked into Northern Ireland from the Republic of Ireland.

Hugo Swire: Although issues relating to human trafficking are now a devolved matter I have discussed this subject with Mr David Ford, the Minister of Justice in Northern Ireland on a number of occasions. I have also facilitated a number of meetings on the issue between Mr Ford and other interested parties, including the Irish Government, which led to the establishment by the NI Executive of an All Party Group on human trafficking.

HEALTH

Abortion

Nadine Dorries: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many abortion forms returned to his Department (a) did not have the required two doctors' signatures and (b) were incomplete in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

Anne Milton: The abortion form (HSA1) which requires the signature of two certifying doctors prior to an abortion, agreeing that there are grounds under the 1967 Abortion Act, is not submitted to the chief medical officer (CMO).
	The medical practitioner performing the abortion is required to sign form HSA4 and submit details of the termination to CMO. This includes the names and addresses of the practitioners who provided the certification on form HSA1. The following table shows the total of missing data items on HSA4 forms for the years 2007 to 2011:
	
		
			  Patient information Certifying and terminating doctor information 
			 2007 105 325 
			 2008 82 461 
			 2009 29 310 
			 2010 27 31 
			 2011 40 449 
		
	
	Departmental officials make every effort to obtain missing data and information. Sometimes this is not possible for a number of reasons including illness, death or suspension of the terminating doctor or the doctor moving abroad.

Accident and Emergency Departments: Greater Manchester

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients waited longer than four hours in each accident and emergency ward in (a) Trafford, (b) Manchester and (c) Salford (i) in each of the last three years, (ii) between January and March 2012 and (iii) between January and March 2011.

Simon Burns: The information requested is shown in the following table. All the trusts mentioned are currently achieving the four-hour accident and emergency (A&E) standard on a quarter to date basis.
	
		
			 Number of people waiting over four hours in A&E departments 
			  2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13(1) 2011 2012 
			 Central Manchester University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 3,686 7,476 9,403 2,279 2,071 3,344 
			 Trafford Healthcare NHS Trust 1,132 1,770 1,574 n/a 413 356 
			 Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust 1,638 2,242 3,499 883 743 962 
			 University Hospital of South Manchester NHS Foundation Trust 2,137 3,640 4,467 1,286 1,043 1,255 
			 Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust 14,250 12,810 14,668 2,567 3,361 2,182 
			 (1) Year to date (2) January to March Notes: 1. Year to date for 2012-13 is up to and including week ending 24 June 2012. 2. The QMAE quarterly return was not collected after September 2011; therefore, the more recent data has been drawn from the A&E weekly return (QSitAE). 3. ‘n/a’ represents figures that are not available. On 1 April 2012, Central Manchester University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust completed the acquisition of Trafford Healthcare NHS Trust. Source: Department of Health QMAE quarterly return (2009-10 and 2010-11 data) Department of Health WSitAE weekly return (2011-13 data)

Cancer

Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what plans his Department has to increase the range of publically available data on cancer that can be analysed by age.
	(2)  if he will publish data on cancer stage of diagnosis and routes to diagnosis by age and tumour type;
	(3)  if he will ensure that data collected on women with metastatic and recurrent breast cancer is made available by age.

Paul Burstow: In “Improving Outcomes: A Strategy for Cancer” published on 12 January 2011, we said that information was central to the drive for better outcomes. Through the National Cancer Intelligence Network (NCIN) we are providing commissioners, providers, clinicians, stakeholders and patients with data about cancer services and outcomes. Wherever possible, all NCIN reports are broken down by equality characteristic and all new datasets include analysis by gender, socio-economic deprivation and age.
	The NCIN report, “Routes to Diagnosis”, published in November 2010, examines routes to diagnosis for a range of cancer types by age, sex and deprivation, to highlight differences in relative one-year survival rates. A copy of the report has been placed in the Library. The NCIN is undertaking an extension of the original “Routes to Diagnosis” report. This new analysis will cover three years of cases, allowing trends in the types of cancer and levels of routes to presentation to be understood and addressed.
	All cancer registries are now implementing internal changes to achieve the staging performance of the best registry. Registries are on. track to deliver this by the end of 2012.
	During 2011-12, we piloted the collection of metastatic and recurrent breast cancer data to identify what information could be collated from routine NHS data and cancer registries. In March 2012, the NCIN published report of the “Recurrent and Metastatic Breast Cancer Data Collection Project Pilot.” This set out the lessons learned and recommendations for routine collection of data, which is currently underway. A copy of the report has been placed in the Library.
	As we progress with the collection of cancer staging data and data on metastatic and recurrent breast cancer data, we will consider how to present this information for routine publication. We would anticipate that this information would be made available by age in common with other registry based statistical publications.

Health: Rural Areas

Nicholas Dakin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which officials in his Department exercise a leadership role in relation to rural health.

Anne Milton: Advice on rural health matters is provided by departmental officials to Ministers across the range of their responsibilities for the national health service, public health and social care. The permanent secretary (Una O'Brien) provides overall leadership for the Department and is responsible to Ministers for this advice. The Director-General for Social, Local Government and Care Partnerships (David Behan) has the lead role in co-ordinating advice on rural health issues, as part of his responsibility for providing support to Ministers on wider cross-Government health issues.

Health: Rural Areas

Nicholas Dakin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which Minister in his Department has responsibility for matters relating to rural health.

Anne Milton: Responsibility for rural health matters is shared by departmental Ministers across the range of their responsibilities for the national health service, public health and social care. I represent the Department in bi-laterals with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Ministers on rural health as part of my work on wider cross-Government health issues.

School Milk

Gordon Henderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department took to increase the uptake of the Nursery Milk Scheme in each of the last five years; and what his Department's target is for take up of the Nursery Milk Scheme in each of the next five years.

Anne Milton: The Nursery Milk scheme reimburses childcare providers the cost of a third of a pint of milk for children under five years old who attend for two or more hours a day. The scheme has been running since the 1940s and we believe that awareness of the scheme is high, with over 50,000 childcare providers currently registered with the Nursery Milk Reimbursement Unit. The Department provides guidance on its website explaining the way in which the scheme is currently administered. Information about the scheme is also available on the Nursery Milk Reimbursement Unit's website at:
	www.nurserymilk.co.uk
	The Department does not plan to set targets for the uptake of the Nursery Milk scheme. However, we are currently consulting on a range of options for modernising the operation of the scheme to improve its value for money while ensuring that all under fives who are entitled to it, in childcare continue to receive free milk. The consultation will further raise the profile of the scheme and offer an opportunity for childcare providers to give their thoughts on improving the operation of the scheme.

School Milk

Gordon Henderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many children have received milk through the Nursery Milk Scheme in each of the last five years.

Anne Milton: The Department does not hold information centrally on the number of individual children who have received free nursery milk. The number of children attending each child care setting varies on a daily basis. However we can provide details regarding the number of milk portions (each a third of a pint) reimbursed. The following table shows the number of portions reimbursed in each of the last five years.
	
		
			 Financial year Number of milk portions (each a third of a pint) reimbursed 
			 2011-12 271,246,523 
			 2010-11 261,704,703 
			 2009-10 217,382,567 
			 2008-09 219,964,361 
			 2007-08 206,107,289

WORK AND PENSIONS

Employment and Support Allowance

Fiona O'Donnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent estimate he has made of the average time taken from receipt of an appeal until the date of the first appeal hearing for employment and support allowance appeals (a) nationally and (b) in East Lothian constituency.

Chris Grayling: The requested information is not available.

Employment and Support Allowance: East Lothian

Fiona O'Donnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in East Lothian constituency are awaiting decisions on employment and support allowance appeals.

Chris Grayling: The requested information is not available.

Employment and Support Allowance: East Lothian

Fiona O'Donnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many appeals have been upheld on employment and support allowance decisions in East Lothian constituency since May 2010.

Chris Grayling: Constituency level data is not available.

Employment Schemes

Tom Clarke: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people from the work-related activity group of employment and support allowance have volunteered for support through Work Choice since October 2010.

Chris Grayling: Between 25 October 2010 and 31 March 2012, there have been 1,120 referrals to Work Choice from individuals who were claiming ESA four weeks prior to their Work Choice referral, who had been placed in the work-related activity group at their Work Capability Assessment.

Employment Schemes

Tom Clarke: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people from the support group of employment and support allowance have volunteered for support through Work Choice since October 2010.

Chris Grayling: Between 25 October 2010 and 31 March 2012, there have been 310 referrals to Work Choice from individuals who were claiming ESA four weeks prior to their Work Choice referral, who had been placed in the Support Group at their Work Capability Assessment.

Housing Benefit: Young People

Margaret Ritchie: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what his policy is on the removal of housing benefit for those under 25 years of age.

Steve Webb: Those under 25 years of age are subject to the same housing benefit qualifying conditions as those aged 25 and over. There are currently no plans to change this policy but, like all aspect of the welfare system, this remains under review.

Pensioners: British Nationals Abroad

Gregg McClymont: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will estimate the cost of determining the number of pensioners returning to the UK over the last five years from countries where they are in receipt of frozen UK pensions.

Steve Webb: holding answer 3 July 2012
	We are unable to supply this information as these data are not collected. We are currently investigating whether the information would be available by examining our computer systems. However, our initial findings are that this would incur substantial cost and significant development time to produce.

Personal Independence Payment

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what arrangements will apply to those who receive support for mobility costs in the personal independence payment on reaching age 65.

Maria Miller: Personal independence payment will allow a claimant to continue to receive their existing award for as long as they satisfy the entitlement conditions, regardless of any upper age limit.

Personal Independence Payment: Autism

Simon Hart: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what representations he has received from (a) adults with autism and their families and (b) voluntary sector organisations about the assessment process for the personal independence payment and its accessibility for people with autism;
	(2)  what steps his Department is taking to ensure that the assessment process for the personal independence payment will be accessible for people with autism and other development disabilities.

Maria Miller: The Department has received a wide range of representations from individuals with autism, their families and voluntary organisations representing them, both in writing and in meetings.
	We recently consulted on the draft assessment criteria for personal independence payment (PIP) and received very helpful responses from the National Autistic Society (NAS), Act Now for Autism, ARChive and Autism Cymru, as well as from a number of individuals with autism and family members of such individuals. Meanwhile, officials have had several meetings with NAS to discuss the assessment and how it will work for people with autistic spectrum disorders. This included meeting with individuals with autism who had been assessed as part of our testing of the PIP assessment criteria, to learn from their experience.
	This engagement is helping to inform our work to ensure that the claim and assessment process is tailored to the needs of people with autism. Key elements of this include ensuring that:
	we gather the right information and evidence from individuals and professionals involved in their care to support the assessment process;
	individuals can have a relative, friend, carer or advocate with them during any face-to-face consultations to reassure and support them;
	the health professionals who assess individuals are sufficiently trained in autism and other mental and cognitive impairments and have access to more specialist support where needed;
	claim forms and other materials being sent to individuals are clear and easily understandable; and
	those organisations who deliver assessments for PIP work closely with disabled people and their organisations as they develop their detailed plans for the assessment process.

Remploy

Ann Clwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the oral answer to the hon. Member for Wansbeck of 25 June 2012, Official Report, column 12, on Remploy, whether the £10,000 funding available to support employee-led proposals is per factory or per employee.

Maria Miller: As announced on 23 April 2012, Remploy employees who submitted a successful expression of interest are able to apply for up to £10,000 worth of expert advice and support to help them further develop their proposal. This money can be used to get expert advice and support, including paying for legal and accountancy support and is available for each employee led bid.
	When employees are notified that their expression of interest is successful they will be sent an application form and instructions on how to apply for the funding.

Social Security Benefits

Margaret Ritchie: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what his policy is on the introduction of regional variation in the benefits system.

Chris Grayling: The benefit system has always recognised regional variations through the mechanism of housing support.

HOUSE OF COMMONS COMMISSION

Times of Sittings

Graham Stringer: To ask the hon. Member for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross, representing the House of Commons Commission, what estimate the House of Commons Commission has made of the cost to the public purse of the House of Commons sitting in September 2012.

John Thurso: The marginal cost of September sittings is relatively low as most operating costs are fixed for the year as a whole and are unaffected by the number and distribution of sitting days. Marginal costs of a two week sitting in September are estimated to be around £200,000, mainly arising from the production of business papers and Hansard. If the September sitting is an alternative to sitting on more days at other times, the overall impact across the year will be less.
	Major projects being undertaken this summer, notably the mechanical and electrical works in the Palace of Westminster including the corridor works on the Principal Floor, were planned around the known sitting dates. It is not possible, therefore, to accurately quantify any additional project costs arising from the House sitting in September 2012.

TRANSPORT

Atos

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 20 June 2012, Official Report, columns 1013-14W, on Atos, what the value was of each contract between her Department and Atos in (a) 2009, (b) 2010, (c) 2011 and (d) 2012.

Norman Baker: holding answer 3 July 2012
	I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 20 June 2012, Official Report, columns 1012-14W, where estimated let value was given.

Aviation

Simon Kirby: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps her Department is taking to promote the growth of the aviation industry in the UK.

Theresa Villiers: The UK has a strong and successful air transport sector, with an annual turnover of around £26 billion. Airports and airlines operate on a commercial basis, but the Department for Transport is taking appropriate steps to promote the sustainable growth of the aviation industry in the UK, consistent with meeting our global and local environmental objectives.
	Enterprise Zones around airports such as Manchester, Cardiff, Luton aim to generate new businesses and jobs through a combination of fiscal measures and simplified planning controls. Investments in road and rail access to airports—such as Regional Growth Fund awards of £19.5 million, £40 million and £18 million for improvements around Luton, Manston and Robin Hood airports respectively—will promote growth as well as improve the passenger experience.
	We intend to publish a sustainable aviation policy framework for UK aviation in July, which will set out further details of the steps the Department is taking.

Energy

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  whether her Department has switched its (a) gas or (b) electricity supplier in any of the last 10 years;
	(2)  which energy supplier supplies her Department with (a) gas and (b) electricity;
	(3)  how much her Department has spent on its (a) gas and (b) electricity bills in each of the last 10 years.

Norman Baker: The Department for Transport procures 95% of its gas and electricity from suppliers on the Government Procurement Services (GPS) Framework for Energy. The table below shows the GPS energy suppliers that supply the Department with its (a) gas, (b) electricity, and (c) utilities (where we are unable to identify if this is gas or electricity spend). In addition, the table shows spend on some legacy contracts not placed via the Framework for Energy (or its predecessors). The Department will switch from these legacy contracts to GPS suppliers) as soon as possible.
	
		
			 (a) Gas 
			  Corona Energy Legacy Contracts Total 
			 2007/08 £374,112 £0 £374,112 
			 2008/09 £612,907 £0 £612,907 
			 2009/10 £288,328 £0 £288,328 
			 2010/11 £493,214 £0 £493,214 
			 2011/12 £501,929 £0 £501,929 
		
	
	
		
			 (b) Electricity 
			  EDF Energy British Gas Legacy Contracts Total 
			 2007/08 £7,260,597 £916,572 £1,683,431 £9,860,600(1) 
			 2008/09 £26,715,740 £2,248,497 £281,465 £29,245,702 
			 2009/10 £20,590,389 £2,938,456 £673,287 £24,202,132 
			 2010/11 £20,673,641 £2,342,832 £2,394,905 £25,411,378 
			 2011/12 £20,524,183 £2,633,443 £0 £23,157,626 
		
	
	
		
			 (c) Utilities 
			  EDF Energy/British Gas Corona Energy Legacy Contract Total 
			 2007/08 £0 £0 £0 £0 
			 2008/09 £0 £0 £0 £0 
		
	
	
		
			 2009/10 £0 £0 £2,959,476 £2,959,476 
			 2010/11 £0 £0 £1,190,372 £1,190,372 
		
	
	The Department does not hold information prior to 2007.
	(1) The figure for electricity spend in 2007/08 does not include Highways Agency expenditure for the Roads Programme, which is included in the answers for 2008/09-2010/11.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

John Leech: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent assessment she has made of the benefits of a high-speed rail network to the north of England.

Justine Greening: HS2 will transform journey times, capacity and connectivity between the major cities of the North, the Midlands and London, unlocking prosperity and enabling the north of England to fulfil its economic potential. In the autumn, I will publish my preferred route and station options for phase 2 of HS2, and I am determined to make progress on this second phase of the network as quickly as possible. This will extend the high speed network northwards along two legs, with stations in Manchester, Leeds, South Yorkshire and the East Midlands, as well as connecting other major conurbations in the North and in Scotland through seamless transition onto the existing network.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Graham Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  if she will estimate the potential journey time saving High Speed 2 will provide for passengers travelling between Northwich station and (a) London Euston, (b) Birmingham International and (c) Paris;
	(2)  if she will estimate the potential journey time saving High Speed 2 will provide for passengers travelling between (a) Lancaster, (b) Fordham and (c) Hoylake station and (i) London Euston, (ii) Birmingham International and (iii) Paris.
	(3)  if she will estimate the potential journey time saving High Speed 2 will provide for passengers travelling between (a) Warrington Bank Quay station, (b) Rowley Regis station, (c) Codsall station, (d) Wolverhampton station and (e) Guiseley station and (i) London Euston, (ii) Birmingham International and (iii) Paris.
	(4)  if she will estimate the potential journey time saving High Speed 2 will provide for passengers travelling between (a) New Pudsey, (b) Harrogate and (c) Knaresborough station and (i) London Euston, (ii) Birmingham International and (iii) Paris.

Justine Greening: High Speed 2 (HS2) will provide high capacity, high speed rail links between the North, the Midlands and London, including a direct link to the Continent via the High Speed 1 line to the Channel Tunnel. The new network will also provide the opportunity to run the existing rail network in a different way, meaning that stations not on the HS2 network itself will benefit in terms of having more, faster or less crowded services.
	It is too early to make decisions now about detailed service patterns and journey times to specific destinations beyond the high speed network in the 2020s and 2030s. I have received advice from HS2 Ltd on route options for the second phase of the Y network. I am currently considering this advice and I intend to publish it in the autumn, together with a Government response setting out the initial preferred route and station options.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Susan Elan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment she has made of the potential benefits of HS2 for (a) North Wales and (b) other parts of Wales.

Justine Greening: HS2 will support economic growth and generate benefits across much of the UK, and these benefits will extend beyond the areas directly served by high speed rail. As soon as phase one of the network opens, HS2 will benefit passengers from Wales served by the Great Western main line, thanks to an additional stop at Old Oak Common providing increased connectivity through links to Crossrail and the Heathrow Express, as well as to HS2. Many passengers from north Wales could benefit from the released capacity HS2 will create on the existing network, although it is too early to make detailed decisions now about service specifications in the late 2020s and 2030s.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Susan Elan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what responses her Department received from Welsh respondants on the consultation on HS2; and what proportion of those respondants were in favour of the development going ahead.

Justine Greening: Over 400 responses from Welsh respondents were received, of which approximately two-thirds were in favour of High Speed 2.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when she plans that the public consultation on compensation for people living near the proposed route of High Speed 2 will be held.

Justine Greening: holding answer 3 July 2012
	We will begin the consultation shortly.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what consideration her Department has given to using a hardship-based scheme in determining compensation for people affected by High Speed 2.

Justine Greening: holding answer 3 July 2012
	As set out in the “Review of Property Issues” published in January 2012, I believe that there is a strong case for introducing a new hardship-based property purchase scheme to help individuals and families who through no fault of their own have an urgent need to move and cannot do so because of HS2. We will shortly publish our compensation proposals for consultation.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what consideration her Department has given to using a property bond solution to determine compensation for people affected by High Speed 2.

Justine Greening: holding answer 3 July 2012
	I have looked at this originally and have given it further consideration. Compensation proposals will be published for consultation shortly.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Graham Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if she will estimate the potential journey time saving High Speed 2 will provide for passengers travelling between (a) Poulton-Le-Fylde, (b) West Kirby, (c) Brighouse, (d) Todmorden and (e) Preston station and (i) London Euston, (ii) Birmingham International and (iii) Paris.

Justine Greening: High Speed 2 (HS2) will provide high capacity, high speed rail links between the North, the Midlands and London, including a direct link to the Continent via the High Speed 1 line to the Channel Tunnel. The new network will also provide the opportunity to run the existing rail network in a different way, meaning that stations not on the HS2 network itself will benefit in terms of having more, faster or less crowded services.
	It is too early to make decisions now about detailed service patterns and journey times to specific destinations beyond the high speed network in the 2020s and 2030s. I have received advice from HS2 Ltd on route options for the second phase of the Y network. I am currently considering this advice and I intend to publish it in the autumn, together with a Government response setting out the initial preferred route and station options.

Motor Vehicles: Exhaust Emissions

Robert Buckland: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many low-carbon vehicles are registered (a) nationally and (b) in Swindon.

Michael Penning: The Department for Transport does not have a definition of ‘low-carbon’ vehicles. Most cars first registered after March 2001 have been taxed on the basis of CO2 emissions. Of the 28.58 million cars licensed in Great Britain on the 31 March 2012, 22.86 million of the registrations include CO2 emission data and of these, 162,802 were in the band A, the lowest band for emissions with emissions of 100 g CO2 per km or lower. This band includes pure electric cars with no tailpipe CO2 emissions. A table containing the complete breakdown of all licensed cars in Great Britain by the vehicle excise duty (VED) band at end of each year is available in table VEH0206 at:
	http://www.dft.gov.uk/statistics/tables/veh0206/
	Information on the CO2 emissions for other vehicles is not held on the DVLA vehicle database. All pure electric vehicles will have zero tailpipe CO2 emissions so would also be classified as low-carbon.
	The following table provides figures for the total number of band A cars (split into electric and non-electric) and other electric vehicles licensed in (a) Great Britain and (b) Swindon borough council on the 31 March 2012.
	
		
			 Body type Great Britain Swindon borough council 
			 Cars—electric 2,899 67 
			 Cars—non-electric Band A 159,903 2,166 
			 Buses and coaches—electric 82 0 
			 Heavy goods vehicles—electric 878 0 
			 Light goods vehicles—electric 3,740 22 
			 Motorcycles, scooters and mopeds—electric 1,377 5 
			 Others(1)—electric 58,851 198 
			    
			 Cars - total electric and non-electric Band A 162,802 2,233 
			    
			 Total ‘low-carbon’ vehicles 227,730 2,458 
			 (1) The ‘other’ vehicles are mostly registered mobility scooters and milk floats but the category does include some fork lifts, tractors and other commercial vehicles. 
		
	
	The Department has a definition of ‘ultra-low emission vehicles’ which is any vehicle with a pure electric powertrain or tailpipe emissions of 75 g/km of CO2 or under.
	Statistics on the number of first registrations under this definition are published monthly in table VEH0170 at:
	http://www.dft.gov.uk/statistics/tables/veh0170/

Pay

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the current pay (a) minima and (b) maxima are for staff at each grade, from AA to Grade 6 or equivalent grades outside London, in each of her Department's bargaining units.

Norman Baker: The information requested is provided in the table below:
	
		
			   DfT© MCA DVLA Highways VOSA DSA VCA GCDA 
			 AA Min £16,169 £13,459 £14,000 £15,989 £14,619 £14,351 £14,460 - 
			  Max £16,169 £14,730 £15,200 £15,989 £16,019 £16,711 £16,775 - 
			 AO Min £19,426 £15,171 £16,735 £17,260 £17,662 £16,385 £17,125 £21,096 
			  Max £20,355 £19,168 £18,000 £18,314 £19,953 £19,889 £20,135 £21,096 
			 EO Min £22,838 £20,321 £20,235 £20,432 £22,066 £21,348 £21,525 £23,463 
			  Max £25,038 £25,676 £23,320 £22,779 £24,928 £24,687 £26,120 £23,463 
			 HEO Min £27,653 £24,543 £25,880 £28,368 £27,580 £26,051 £26,780 - 
			  Max £31,694 £31,006 £29,255 £34,730 £31,070 £30,427 £35,315 - 
			 SEO Min £33,516 £31,518 £32,230 £42,396 £34,346 £33,052 £35,520 - 
		
	
	
		
			  Max £39,225 £44,574 £35,900 £48,688 £39,100 £38,400 £43,770 - 
			 G7 Min £42,643 £41,161 £43,125 £43,412 £43,960 £39,620 £44,500 - 
			  Max £51,781 £52,081 £52,357 £50,846 £50,670 £52,206 £58,170 - 
			 G6 Min £52,406 £49,472 £57,855 £56,979 £50,290 £51,305 £58,210 - 
			  Max £63,635 £62,595 £63,765 £67,747 £57,966 £63,335 £67,335 -

Pay

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when was the last full equal-pay audit conducted in each bargaining unit in her Department; and when the next such audit in each such unit is scheduled to be conducted.

Norman Baker: The Department for Transport carries out an equality impact assessment on pay annually after the pay award is implemented. The next assessment will be undertaken following the pay award for 2012/13.

Pay

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many full-time equivalent staff in her Department and the public bodies for which she is responsible outside London earn less than (a) £15,000, (b) £16,000, (c) £18,000, (d) £20,000 and (e) £25,000 excluding bonuses and performance related pay.

Norman Baker: The requested information is in the following table:
	
		
			  Department for Transport Public Bodies 
			 <£15,000 167 15 
			 £15,001 to £16,000 1623 16 
			 £16,001 to £18,000 708 67 
			 £18,001 to £20,000 3790 226 
			 £20.001 to £25,000 5870 655

Pay

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport in each departmental bargaining unit which grades have not seen an increase in pay maxima in (a) three, (b) four, (c) five and (d) six or more years.

Norman Baker: The following table shows when the pay maxima for each grade in the Department for Transport's bargaining units were last increased:
	
		
			  Pay maxima increase 
			 DfT(C) Pay maxima for AA, EO, SEO, Grade 7 and Grade 6 increased 4 years ago (2008) 
			  Pay maxima for AO and HEO increased 5 years ago (2007) 
			 HA All pay maxima increased in 2010 (3rd year of a 3 year pay deal agreed in 2007) 
			 MCA No pay maxima increase in last 3 years (2009, 2010 & 2011) 
			 DVLA No pay maxima increase in last 2 years (2010 & 2011) 
			 DSA No pay maxima increase in last 2 years (2010 & 2011) 
			 VOSA No pay maxima increase in last 3 years (2009, 2010 & 2011) 
			 VCA No pay maxima increase in last 2 years (2010 & 2011) 
			 GCDA No pay maxima increase in last 3 years (2009, 2010 & 2011)

Staff

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  which grades in each of her Department's bargaining units outside London have more than (a) 50% and (b) 60% of women in them, as measured as staff in post;
	(2)  which grades in each of her Department's bargaining units outside London have more than (a) 50% and (b) 60% of men in them, as measured as staff in post.

Norman Baker: Annual Equality and Monitoring Reports for each of the Department's bargaining units outside London can be accessed through the following link:
	http://www.dft.gov.uk/publications/dft-compliance-with-the-equality-duty/
	Table 1.6 in each of the annexes in XLS format provides a breakdown of the proportion of female to male employees in each grade below senior servant level.

Thameslink Railway Line

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment she has made of the effect of the introduction of the Thameslink contract on existing train maintenance work at Hornsey depot. [R]

Theresa Villiers: The new fleet of trains being procured for Thameslink will be maintained at a new train maintenance facility to be constructed on Coronation Sidings adjacent to the existing train maintenance facility at Hornsey. The existing Hornsey depot will continue to be used to maintain non-Thameslink mainline and other Great Northern commuter and suburban services following the introduction of the Thameslink contract.

Thameslink Railway Line

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether Hornsey depot will continue to be responsible for train maintenance work for (a) mainline and (b) other Great Northern services operated by First Capital Connect following the introduction of the Thameslink contract. [R]

Theresa Villiers: The existing Hornsey depot will continue to be used to maintain non-Thameslink mainline and other Great Northern commuter and suburban services following the introduction of the Thameslink contract.

Thameslink Railway Line

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what changes to train maintenance work at Hornsey depot she expects to see over the next five years as the result of the Thameslink Rolling stock contract and new franchise agreements. [R]

Theresa Villiers: Subject to contract award, the fleet of trains being procured for Thameslink will be maintained at a new train maintenance facility to be constructed on Coronation Sidings adjacent to the existing train maintenance facility at Hornsey. The existing Hornsey depot will continue to be used to maintain non-Thameslink mainline and other Great Northern commuter and suburban services following the introduction of the Thameslink contract.

Thameslink Railway Line

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions (a) she, (b) Ministers in her Department and (c) officials in her Department have had with train operating companies in respect of future workloads at Hornsey depot as a result of the Thameslink Rolling stock contract and new franchise agreements; and what the outcome was of such discussions. [R]

Theresa Villiers: Managing workloads at depots to deliver the train service is the responsibility of the train operating companies. The Department is currently consulting on the train service specification for the new Thameslink franchise. The existing Hornsey depot will continue to be required to maintain non-Thameslink mainline and other Great Northern commuter and suburban services following the introduction of the Thameslink contract.

JUSTICE

Members: Correspondence

Alan Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice when he plans to reply to the letter from the right hon. Member for Kingston upon Hull West and Hessle of 28 November 2011 concerning a constituent, Alan Mackinder of Hessle.

Kenneth Clarke: A reply to the letter was sent to the right hon. Member on 28 June. The first copy of the letter was mislaid. I apologise for the late response.

Mental Health

John Pugh: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what steps he is taking to promote good mental health and well-being within his Department.

Kenneth Clarke: The Ministry of Justice (MOJ) recognises the importance of mental health and well-being for all MOJ staff. Managers monitor our absence data so that they can identify trends such as increases in mental health issues and target action appropriately. Individuals and managers have access to a range of support to help them with issues that could affect mental health. This includes occupational health professionals who, in prisons, are based on site, and an employee assistance programme which provides advice on issues such as debt management and bereavement.
	Managers and staff share responsibility for assessing and managing stress at work. The MOJ provides detailed guidance on how these actions should be carried out and the arrangements which should be followed; this also applies with regard to staff who are exposed to potentially traumatising incidents.

DEFENCE

Armed Forces: Housing

Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how he plans to allocate the £100 million announced in Budget 2011 for service accommodation.

Andrew Robathan: As announced in March 2012, the Ministry of Defence (MOD) will receive an additional £100 million from April 2013. The MOD will target the extra investment to generate maximum impact for defence and for the benefit of service personnel and their families.
	We will bring around 550 service family accommodation (SFA) properties up to the highest standard for condition and refurbish around 600 single living accommodation rooms. The extra investment will also mean that in areas of high demand 100 vacant SFA properties will be made ready for occupation and new homes purchased.

Armed Forces: Pay

Simon Reevell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 26 June 2012, Official Report, column 192W, on armed forces: pay, whether monies due to bereaved families are adjusted to claim back salaries automatically paid to service personnel in respect of the period after their death and before the month end.

Andrew Robathan: We never ask families of those killed in service to pay money back. Our aim is to ensure families receive the right amount of money as quickly as possible and to conduct a reconciliation of their pay accounts as soon as all the information becomes available to us. We do not collect any money from the families of deceased service personnel, but we do adjust future payments to ensure families are paid all monies to which they are entitled.

Armed Forces: Redundancy

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many members of HM Armed Forces who have been issued with compulsory redundant notes for discharge are within one year of reaching the full qualifying date for an immediate Ministry of Defence pension.

Andrew Robathan: Because of the complexity of pensions calculations, the exact number of service personnel within one year of reaching the full qualifying date for an immediate pension could be determined only by a manual analysis of the records of those selected for redundancy, which could be provided only at disproportionate cost. However early analysis indicates approximately 80 (roughly 1.2%) of the 6,660 armed forces personnel selected for redundancy in tranches 1 and 2 are non-applicants who will now, following a reduction in the qualifying period, be within one year of qualifying for an immediate pension or equivalent on their redundancy exit date. Selection for redundancy was based on clearly defined criteria; proximity to pension point was not one of these.
	The Armed Forces Redundancy schemes pay significantly larger tax free redundancy compensation lump sums to those who narrowly miss out on immediate incomes. Any pension rights that have been earned will also be preserved, meaning that an index linked pension and a further tax-free lump sum will become payable at age 60 or 65, depending on pension scheme.
	Whereas the majority of other ranks normally have to serve for 22 years before receiving an immediate income, the Armed Forces Redundancy schemes reduce this requirement to 18 years. This is a concession of four years, which will enable many redundees to receive an immediate income for which they would otherwise not have qualified.

Armed Forces: Uniforms

Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what budget was allocated to ceremonial uniforms for the (a) Army, (b) Navy and (c) RAF in the last year.

Peter Luff: holding answer 2 July 2012
	Budgets for ceremonial uniforms are not held in the format requested, as they form part of the three services’ overall clothing budgets, and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Cyprus: Military Bases

Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment his Department has made of the long-term future for the sovereign base areas in Cyprus.

Nick Harvey: I refer the hon. Member to the statement given by the Secretary of State for Defence, the right hon. Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond) on 15 December 2011, Official Report, column 115WS.

Iran

George Galloway: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what preparations his Department has made for war with Iran; and what estimate he has made of the likely cost in (a) personnel and (b) materiel.

Nick Harvey: We are not advocating military action against Iran. We continue to believe that the dual-track process of pressure and engagement led by the E3+3, comprising the UK, US, France, Germany, China and Russia, offers the best hope of resolving international concerns about Iran's nuclear programme.
	However, we do not believe it is sensible to rule out any option; we have therefore made it clear that all options remain on the table. Parliamentarians backed the Government's approach in a vote in the House of Commons on 20 February 2012, with a majority of 285.

Sovereignty: Scotland

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if his Department will allocate resources to considering the effect on UK military capabilities of Scotland voting in favour of separation in the 2014 referendum.

Philip Hammond: holding answer 2 July 2012
	The UK Government position is clear: Scotland benefits from being part of the UK and the UK benefits from having Scotland within it. The UK Government are not making plans for independence as we are confident that people in Scotland will continue to support Scotland remaining within the UK in any referendum.
	In the run-up to the referendum the UK Government will produce detailed evidence and analysis to assess the benefits that Scotland gains from being part of the UK and the contribution that Scotland makes to the UK. As one of the major reserved areas, Defence will feature significantly in this work.

Sovereignty: Scotland

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if his Department will discuss the future of HMNB Clyde with the Scottish Government before the 2014 referendum on Scottish independence.

Philip Hammond: holding answer 2 July 2012
	The UK Government position is clear: Scotland benefits from being part of the UK and the UK benefits from having Scotland within it. The UK Government are not making plans for independence as we are confident that people in Scotland will continue to support Scotland remaining within the UK in any referendum. Therefore I have no plans to discuss the future of Her Majesty's Naval Base Clyde with the Scottish Government.

Sovereignty: Scotland

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what estimate his Department has made of the cost of replicating the facilities at Faslane and Coulport at another site in the UK;
	(2)  what contingency arrangements his Department has put in place for the operation of Vanguard class submarines should HMNB Clyde become inoperable.

Philip Hammond: holding answer 2 July 2012
	The UK Government position is clear: Scotland benefits from being part of the UK and the UK benefits from having Scotland within it. The UK Government are not making plans for independence as we are confident that people in Scotland will continue to support Scotland remaining within the UK in any referendum.
	No work has been undertaken to estimate the cost of replicating the facilities at Faslane and Coulport at another site in the UK. It is clear from first principles, however, that the cost of relocating such facilities from Scotland would be extremely high.
	I am withholding information relating to contingency planning arrangements should Her Majesty's Naval Base (HMNB) Clyde become inoperable for the purpose of safeguarding national security.

Warships

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the extent to which the Co-operative Engagement Capability system will contribute to a recognised air picture;
	(2)  whether the Co-operative Engagement Capability system (a) increases interoperability with the US Navy and (b) reduces the possibility of friendly fire incidents;
	(3)  what role the Co-operative Engagement Capability system will have in protecting Queen Elizabeth Class carriers.
	(4)  what estimate he has made of the amount spent on the Co-operative Engagement Capability system for Royal Navy vessels to date.

Alison Seabeck: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the oral answer of 11 June 2012, Official Report, column 4, on new equipment (expenditure), whether the co-operative engagement capability has been (a) permanently cancelled and (b) not committed to at this stage.

Peter Luff: Co-operative Engagement Capability (CEC) has not been cut; it was never in the committed core equipment programme. The CEC programme entered the assessment phase in 2000. The previous Government then deferred the programme by five years in 2005 and by a further four years in 2010. The Ministry of Defence (MOD)'s expenditure to date on the assessment phase over this whole period is £45.5 million inclusive of non-recoverable VAT.
	The MOD carried out a comprehensive study into investing in this capability, however during the three month exercise we concluded that it was not necessary to commit funding to CEC at this stage.
	The MOD now manages the Equipment programme on the basis of committing only when funding for the full procurement and sustainment cost of a new project is available and when a commitment needs to be made in order to meet the required in-service date.
	The decision not to commit to this project at the moment does not rule out a future commitment to the capability.
	Decisions on future commitments will be taken on the advice of the Armed Forces Committee, which makes the budget available and decides what the priorities should be.
	The Secretary of State for Defence, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond), made clear last month, the MOD budget has headroom of £8 billion over the next 10 years for potential programmes.
	The Armed Forces Committee will prioritise projects for commitment when necessary, and not before.
	Without CEC, the T45 Destroyer remains a world leading, state-of-the-art anti-air warfare platform with a range of capabilities for defeating complex threats.

World War II: Military Decorations

Mark Menzies: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what representations he has received on awarding a Service Medal to former members of Bomber Command; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Robathan: Defence Ministers and their officials have received a number of representations in respect of awarding a Service Medal to Bomber Command veterans.
	There is widespread admiration for the major contribution that the crews of Bomber Command made to the Allied victory in World War II and their commitment in the face of significant losses.
	The coalition Government have agreed that there should be a fresh review of the rules governing the award of military medals. This is currently being undertaken by an independent lead, Sir John Holmes, in full consultation with interested parties. The independent review will make use of all the work undertaken as part of an earlier Ministry of Defence review, but will have a broader scope. It is anticipated that it will be completed by the end of the summer.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Animal Welfare: Circuses

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she plans to lay regulations before Parliament to restrict the use of wild animals in travelling circuses.

James Paice: My written ministerial statement on 1 March 2012, Official Report, columns 41-42W, confirmed that we intend to introduce legislation to ban the use of such animals on ethical grounds. A ban will be implemented as soon as parliamentary time allows. In the meantime, we will introduce a new licensing scheme to protect the welfare of wild animals in travelling circuses via regulations. We hope to lay those regulations before Parliament before summer recess.

Gangmasters

Stephen Barclay: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  following the debate in Westminster Hall on 20 June 2012 on gangmasters, what steps her Department is taking to investigate the use of repayment orders for gangmaster-related offences; and by what date she expects this to take place;
	(2)  following the debate in Westminster Hall on 20 June 2012 on gangmasters, by what date she expects to have referred the development of sentencing guidelines for gangmaster-related offences to the Ministry of Justice.

James Paice: On 24 May 2012, Official Report, columns 83-85WS, I announced the outcome of the Government's Red Tape Challenge in respect of the Gangmasters Licensing Authority (GLA). This included bringing forward proposals for consultation on the introduction of fines and penalties for low level technical and minor offences, including a measure similar to a Repayment Order. Detailed proposals will be published later this year.
	As part of the wider work on the GLA being taken forward as a result of proposals arising from the Red Tape Challenge, and following commitments given during the Westminster Hall Debate on 20 June 2012, Official Report, columns 272-80WH, we will look at whether it would be appropriate to issue sentencing guidelines for gangmaster-related offences. We will make further announcements in due course.

Government Procurement Card

Rachel Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on which dates her Department has published Government procurement card spending over £500 since May 2010.

Richard Benyon: DEFRA has published information on Government procurement card spending over £500 as follows:
	
		
			 Period Date published 
			 April to August 2011 27 October 2011 
			 September to October 2011 9 December 2011 
			 November 2011 17 January 2012 
			 December 2011 22 June 2012 
			 April 2010 to March 2011 22 June 2012

Litter

Gloria De Piero: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  how many street litter control notices have been issued in (a) England and Wales, (b) Nottinghamshire and (c) Ashfield constituency in the last three years;
	(2)  how many litter clearance notices have been issued in (a) England and Wales, (b) Nottinghamshire and (c) Ashfield constituency in the last three years.

Richard Benyon: Figures on the number of street litter control notices and litter clearance notices issued in England and Wales, Nottinghamshire and Ashfield in the last three years are not held centrally.

Livestock: Exports

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much livestock was exported to be reared outside of the UK in each of the last five years.

James Paice: Prior to 2009, individual animal health offices had responsibility for tracking exports. Therefore, data prior to 2009 is not held centrally. The data for 2010 is limited as the introduction of a centralised team within Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories was gradual.
	Data about whether the animal is being exported for rearing before slaughter are not collected, so the figures for slaughter have been included for completeness.
	The figures are as follows.
	
		
			  Animals Total number of consignments Number of animals for production/fattening Total number of consignments Number of animals for slaughter Total number of consignments Number of animals for breeding 
			 2010 Pigs 171 — — — — — 
			  Sheep and Goats 193 — — — — — 
			  Cattle 218 — — — — — 
			         
			 2011 Pigs 0 0 6 422 96 4,667 
			  Sheep and Goats 138 57,449 40 14,606 149 1,866 
			  Cattle 6 1,021 91 12,535 286 1,691 
			         
			 2012 (to date) Pigs 0 0 0 0 20 805 
			  Sheep and Goats 16 3,824 10 3,098 26 118 
			  Cattle 19 3,026 1 148 160 944

Meat

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what representations she has made on the unilateral nature of the ban on desinewed ruminant meat products as of the end of April 2012; and if she will make a statement.

James Paice: On 18 June, I discussed the issue of desinewed meat with Commissioner Dalli (European Commissioner for Health and Consumer Policy), including the timing of relevant audit visits by the EU Food and Veterinary Office to other member states and the process and timescales for the Commission to submit a mandate for a formal scientific opinion on mechanically separated meat by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). The Commission has indicated that this will be sent to EFSA within the next few weeks.

Regulation

Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what regulations her Department introduced between 1 February 2012 and 31 May 2012; and at what cost to the public purse.

James Paice: The Department introduced 22 statutory instruments between 1 February 2012 and 31 May 2012. A list of these instruments is set out in the table.
	DEFRA does not capture the cost to the public purse of new statutory instruments (eg including staff time or cost to regulators), but does capture the forecast costs and savings to business, which are set out in individual impact assessments. These are available electronically from the Better Regulation Executive's impact assessment library:
	http://www.ialibrary.bis.gov.uk/links/
	
		
			 Regulation Date of introduction 
			 Tuberculosis (England) (Amendment) Order 2012 (SI 2012/1391) 14 May 2012 
			 Individual Ascertainment of Value (England) Order 2012 (SI 2012/1380) 14 May 2012 
			 Cattle Compensation (England) Order 2012 (SI 2012/1379) 14 May 2012 
			 Fishing Boats (Satellite-Tracking Devices and Electronic Reporting) (England) Scheme 2012 (SI 2012/1375) 17 May 2012 
			 Bridgewater Canal (Transfer of Undertaking) Order 2012 (SI 2012/1266) 1 May 2012 
			 Control of Dogs (Designation of the Common Council of the City of London as a Secondary Authority) Order 2012 (SI 2012/1223) 1 May 2012 
			 Environmental Offences (Fixed Penalties) (Miscellaneous Provisions) (Amendment) Regulations 2012 (SI 2012/1151) 21 April 2012 
			 Environmental Protection Act 1990 (Amendment of Fixed Penalty Amount) (England) Order 2012 (SI 2012/1150) 21 April 2012 
			 Quality Standards for Green Bananas (England and Wales) Regulations 2012 (SI 2012/947) 21 March 2012 
			 Environmental Protection Act 1990 (Commencement No. 19) Order 2012 (SI 2012/898) 20 March 2012 
			 Flood and Water Management Act 2010 (Commencement No 6 and Transitional Provisions) Order 2012 (SI 2012/879) 18 March 2012 
			 Sea Fishing (Licences and Notices) (England) Regulations 2012 (SI 2012/827) 14 March 2012 
			 Smoke Control Areas (Exempted Fireplaces) (England) Order 2012 (SI 2012/815) 13 March 2012 
			 Smoke Control Areas (Authorised Fuels) (England) Regulations 2012 (SI 2012/814) 13 March 2012 
			 Controlled Waste (England and Wales) Regulations 2012 (SI 2012/811) 12 March 2012 
			 Plant Health (Fees) (England) Regulations 2012 (SI 2012/745) 27 February 2012 
			 Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009 (Transitional Provisions) Order 2012 (SI 2012/698) 3 March 2012 
			 Plant Health (Miscellaneous Amendments) (England) Regulations 2012 (SI 2012/697) 3 March 2012 
			 Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) (Amendment) Regulations 2012 (SI 2012/630) 16 February 2012 
			 Welfare of Animals (Slaughter or Killing) (Amendment) (England) Regulations 2012 (SI 2012/501) 22 February 2012 
		
	
	
		
			 Water Act 2003 (Commencement No. 11) Order 2012 (SI 2012/264) 2 February 2012 
			 Contaminated Land (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2012 (SI 2012/263) 2 February 2012

Sausages: Lincolnshire

Nicholas Dakin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will reverse her Department's ruling on the protected geographical indication status of the Lincolnshire sausage.

James Paice: The Lincolnshire Sausage Association (LSA) submitted an appeal against the decision to reject the application to protect the name ‘Lincolnshire Sausage’ as a Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) on 14 June 2012. We are now giving careful consideration to the grounds of that appeal. Any reconsideration of our decision will depend on new evidence and information being provided by the LSA in its appeal.
	We will write to the LSA to inform it of the outcome of our consideration of the appeal.

Water Charges

Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent estimate she has made of the average household water bill in each (a) region and (b) nation in each of the last five years.

Richard Benyon: Ofwat is the economic regulator of water and sewerage companies in England and Wales. It holds average water bill information for each water company in England and Wales and calculates a sector wide average bill.
	Ofwat does not hold information on average bills for Scotland or Northern Ireland.
	A table showing average household water bills in each region and in England and Wales, in each of the last five years, is as follows.
	
		
			 Real (2012-13 prices) average water only bills(1) 
			 £ 
			  Confirmed figures Provisional figures Forecast Figures 
			  2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 
			 Water and sewerage companies         
			 Anglian 171 179 188 188 190 186 188 189 
			 Dwr Cymru (Welsh Water) 178 181 184 187 188 182 181 178 
			 Northumbrian 140 144 147 145 145 156 161 161 
			 Essex and Suffolk (Water only) 177 182 187 188 189 206 215 217 
			 Severn Trent 162 166 167 165 167 175 172 171 
			 South West 188 205 222 224 227 228 229 228 
			 Southern 132 138 140 139 139 142 146 149 
			 Thames 186 192 200 200 202 208 202 199 
			 United Utilities 168 176 183 185 186 191 192 190 
		
	
	
		
			 Wessex 183 199 215 221 219 223 230 234 
			 Yorkshire 160 165 167 169 169 166 165 166 
			          
			 Water only companies         
			 Bristol 162 164 168 172 171 172 175 181 
			 Cambridge 133 132 135 126 128 128 126 127 
			 Dee Valley 145 140 137 142 140 142 144 145 
			 Portsmouth 100 99 100 102 102 97 96 94 
			 Sembcorp Bournemouth Water 159 161 161 157 150 157 155 153 
			 South East (including 'Mid Kent Water' from 2008-09) 198 183 191 188 191 195 205 204 
			 Mid Kent Water(2) 185 180 181 — — — — — 
			 South Staffordshire Water 128 132 135 136 137 140 138 140 
			 Sutton and East Surrey 185 186 187 181 180 180 177 181 
			 Veolia Water Central (formerly Three Valleys Water) 175 173 176 173 175 179 179 174 
			 Veolia Water East (formerly Tendring Hundred) 210 202 189 186 187 180 176 173 
			 Veolia Water South East (formerly Folkestone and Dover) 192 200 206 200 198 194 192 188 
			          
			 Industry average bill 133 140 150 157 162 166 174 182 
			 (1) Average bills take account of both metered and unmetered bills. (2) Mid Kent Water merged with South East Water in 2008-09.

Water Charges

Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate her Department has made of the proportion of household earnings of those in the poorest UK decile which was spent on water and sewerage rates in each of the last five years.

Richard Benyon: Ofwat is the economic regulator of water and sewerage companies in England and Wales. In its publication ‘Affordability and Debt 2009-10 - current evidence’, it estimated that 87% of those in the lowest income decile spent more than 3% of their income on water; and 74% spent more than 5% of their income. This was for the year 2008-09, which is the latest information available.

BUSINESS, INNOVATION AND SKILLS

Adult Education: Devon

Anne-Marie Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many residents of (a) Newton Abbot constituency and (b) Teignbridge (i) started and (ii) completed a course at an adult education college in each of the last five years.

John Hayes: Table 1 shows Government-funded further education and skills learner participation and achievements in general further education colleges in Newton Abbot and Central Devon parliamentary constituencies which comprise Teignbridge district, by age, for academic years 2006/07 to 2010/11, the latest full years for which final data are available.
	
		
			 Table 1: General further education colleges learner participation and achievement by geography and age 2006/07 to 2010/11 
			   Age 2006/07 2007/08 2008/09 2009/10 2010/11 
			 Participation Newton Abbot constituency Under 19 960 1,130 1,160 1,240 1,270 
			   19+ 1,740 2,680 2,730 2,850 2,440 
			   Total 2,690 3,800 3,890 4,090 3,710 
			  Central Devon Under 19 890 960 960 1,050 1,090 
			   19+ 1,470 1,440 1,820 1,800 1,390 
			   Total 2,360 2,400 2,780 2,840 2,480 
			  Teignbridge district Under 19 1,850 2,090 2,120 2,290 2,370 
			   19+ 3,210 4,110 4,550 4,640 3,830 
			   Total 5,060 6,200 6,670 6,930 6,200 
			  England Under 19 630,630 654,060 662,530 682,240 694,460 
			   19+ 1,573,700 1,551,600 1,768,040 1,635,590 1,338,480 
		
	
	
		
			   Total 2,204,300 2,205,700 2,430,600 2,317,800 2,032,900 
			 Achievement Newton Abbot constituency Under 19 660 780 900 980 1,090 
			   19+ 1,150 1,620 1,760 2,280 2,050 
			   Total 1,810 2,400 2,660 3,260 3,140 
			  Central Devon Under 19 620 670 760 830 930 
			   19+ 970 930 1,190 1,370 1,090 
			   Total 1,580 1,600 1,940 2,200 2,020 
			  Teignbridge district Under 19 1,280 1,450 1,660 1,810 2,020 
			   19+ 2,120 2,550 2,940 3,660 3,140 
			   Total 3,400 4,010 4,600 5,460 5,160 
			  England Under 19 457,610 489,320 521,120 546,780 558,360 
			   19+ 1,084,100 1,060,260 1,221,600 1,187,170 975,860 
			   Total 1,541,700 1,549,600 1,742,700 1,734,000 1,534,200 
			 Notes: 1. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10 except for the England Totals which are rounded to the nearest 100. 2. Geography is based upon the home postcode of the learner. Geographic information is based on boundaries of regions as of May 2010. The England Totals include some postcodes which are not known. 3. Teignbridge district is comprised of Newton Abbot and Central Devon parliamentary constituencies. Figures for Teignbridge district are based on the sum of unrounded data for these parliamentary constituencies. Figures may not sum to the total due to rounding. 4. These data include both young people (under 19) and adults (aged 19+) participating in apprenticeships, workplace learning, community learning and education and training provision taken at general further education colleges (including Tertiary) only. 5. Age is based on age at the start of the academic year. Source: Individualised Learner Record 
		
	
	Information on further education and skills participation and achievement by geography is published in a supplementary table of a quarterly statistical first release (SFR). The latest SFR was published on 29 March 2012:
	http://www.thedataservice.org.uk/statistics/statisticalfirstrelease/sfr_supplementary_tables/

Business

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent steps his Department has taken to reduce the burden of regulation on small and medium-sized businesses.

Mark Prisk: This Government have taken specific and concrete steps to reduce the burden of regulation on small and medium-sized businesses:
	We have already saved SMEs £388 million by not extending the right to request time to train to businesses with fewer than 250 employees;
	The display ban on tobacco, which applies to supermarkets and very large stores from April 2012, will not apply to smaller tobacco retailers until April 2015;
	We are phasing implementation of pensions auto enrolment, so that small business will not need to comply until June 2015;
	We have achieved agreement in Brussels exempting up to 1.4 million UK small businesses from certain EU accounting rules.
	More widely, the Government introduced a three year moratorium on new domestic regulation for micro-businesses and start-ups from 1 April 2011 in order to support growth and establish a period of increased regulatory stability for the smallest businesses.
	To help reduce the burden of new business regulation we have introduced the one-in, one-out rule, so that if a Department wants to introduce a new rule which generates costs for business, they must first identify a corresponding cut in regulation elsewhere with the same value.
	We are running the Red Tape Challenge, a process for scrapping and simplifying existing regulations that are obsolete.
	Finally, we recently launched Focus on Enforcement, to improve the impact on business of how regulations are enforced.

Coal Fired Power Stations: Export Credit Guarantees

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent support UK Export Finance has given to unabated coal-fired energy projects.

Norman Lamb: UK Export Finance has not given support for a coal-fired power station since 2002.

Coal Fired Power Stations: Export Credit Guarantees

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what plans UK Export Finance has to support unabated coal-fired energy projects.

Norman Lamb: UK Export Finance is not currently considering any applications made to it to support exports for coal-fired power stations.

EU Internal Trade

Stephen Phillips: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what discussions he has had with his EU counterparts on the discouragement of anti-competitive state aid to improve the functioning of the single market.

Norman Lamb: The Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, my right hon. Friend the Member for Twickenham (Vince Cable), met with the Competition Commissioner, Vice President Almunia in May 2012 to discuss the UK's support for state aid rules that ensure a level playing field for competition. This is a key objective for the European Commission's State Aid Modernisation agenda which also seeks to facilitate growth across the EU. Positive contacts are also ongoing at official level.

Manufacturing Industries: Motor Vehicles

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent estimate his Department has made of the number of people employed by low emission vehicle manufacturing companies based in the UK.

Mark Prisk: We have made no recent estimate of the number of people in the UK employed in low emission vehicle manufacturing.

Origin Marking

Chris Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps he is taking to assess the effect of labelling the country of manufacture or origin on products on the retailing of such products.

Norman Lamb: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills does not make assessments or collect commercial data on retail sales of individual product lines, or products with certain characteristics such as origin labelling. We consider this a commercial decision for the retailers concerned.

Origin Marking

Chris Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether his Department is working on schemes to accredit products for which the majority of design and manufacture took place in the UK.

Mark Prisk: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills is not working on any such schemes. Our focus is on challenging the myths that “we don't make anything any more”; and to champion the exciting reality of British manufacturing today. We want people in the UK to take a fresh look at manufacturing and to appreciate the scale and excellence of our manufacturing industry.
	The Make it in Great Britain (MiiGB) campaign is all about changing the image of manufacturing, among investors and especially young people, too many of whom are missing out on great jobs and careers.
	The campaign builds on the already successful See Inside Manufacturing programme, which encourages young people to consider a career in manufacturing by enabling them to go behind the scenes of some of the UK's world-class facilities to learn about modern manufacturing and the jobs available.

Overseas Students: EU Countries

Lorely Burt: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills 
	(1)  how many British nationals studied in each other EU member state in each of the last 10 years; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  how many students from each other EU member states studied in the UK in each of the last 10 years; and if he will make a statement.

David Willetts: Estimates of the number of UK-domiciles studying higher education (HE) qualifications in EU member states (other than the UK) are shown in Table 1. These estimates are based on data collections from National Ministries by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and Eurostat, and refer to the period 2000 to 2009, the latest year for which data are available.
	Information on the number of students domiciled in European Union (EU) member states (other than the UK) and enrolled at UK higher education institutions (HEIs) is shown in Table 2. These statistics from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) cover the academic years 2001/02 to 2010/11. Information for the 2011/12 academic year will become available from January 2013.
	The counts of outgoing (Table 1) and incoming (Table 2) students are not strictly comparable because they use different coverage rules and differing definitional criteria. The OECD and Eurostat measures of outgoing students, for example, do not include students on exchange programmes or those studying for a qualification with a full-time equivalent duration of less than two years; the HESA statistics on incoming students do include such students.
	In addition to those who study abroad for their full degree, there are many schemes to allow students to spend part of their degree abroad. The largest is the Erasmus programme, where students can study in most other European countries including all EU member states. In 2009/10, there were 8,054 outgoing Erasmus study placements undertaken by UK students. The most recent figures available for incoming Erasmus study placements are for 2008/09 when there were 16,051; the outgoing figure for that year was 7,428. It is not possible to say how many of the outgoing and incoming students went to or arrived from the 26 other EU member states as opposed to the six other European countries in the programme.
	The Government are dedicated to ensuring students have the opportunity to gain international experience through degree or credit mobility, or work experience, as we recognise the benefits gained from time abroad both for the student, UK HEIs and the wider economy.
	The movement of students between countries is to be encouraged. It is of mutual benefit. Under EU law, UK students have access to study at universities in other member states of the EU under the same terms that apply to students of those countries. This enables students to experience different cultures, develop foreign language capability and other skills, which can be invaluable in their future working and personal lives.
	
		
			 Table 1: Estimated number of UK students(1) studying(2) higher education(3) in EU member states (other than the UK) years 200009 
			 EU member state 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 
			 Austria 214 214 173 175 186 180 194 200 243 258 
			 Belgium 210 231 235 234 270 145 210 251 241 254 
			 Bulgaria 1 1 4 1 3 3 5 7 3 6 
			 Cyprus 44 50 47 64 66 77 50 43 48 54 
			 Czech Republic 228 241 231 237 265 334 363 405 410 402 
			 Denmark 374 388 401 425 450 466 471 479 472 517 
			 Estonia 3 0 2 1 2 2 3 4 7 10 
			 Finland 143 147 141 160 172 191 189 189 200 188 
			 France 3,147 2,721 2,545 2,998 2,611 2,299 2,570 2,595 2,519 2,580 
			 Germany 2,599 2,397 2,242 2,172 2,154 1,962 1,871 1,854 1,723 1,889 
			 Greece 5 0 4 7 14 19 85 106 102 100 
			 Hungary 40 46 39 23 28 33 53 76 104 128 
			 Ireland 1,809 1,939 1,960 2,132 2,000 1,850 1,700 1,550 1,421 2,184 
			 Italy 91 145 112 173 247 249 280 298 247 245 
			 Latvia 1 5 4 3 6 8 15 17 25 28 
			 Lithuania 2 3 3 2 4 8 8 8 7 8 
			 Luxembourg (4)— (4)— 0 0 0 0 4 0 7 20 
			 Malta 12 6 6 12 10 13 16 19 31 32 
			 Netherlands 661 648 628 603 590 731 772 802 827 825 
			 Poland 24 21 28 26 22 41 45 77 105 109 
			 Portugal 94 90 90 91 90 107 86 90 99 101 
			 Romania 2 3 5 6 14 16 10 33 31 62 
			 Slovakia 2 3 5 4 5 6 12 26 41 52 
			 Slovenia (4)— (4)— (4)— (4)— (4)— 2 0 1 1 4 
			 Spain 660 663 657 653 593 538 618 662 721 838 
			 Sweden 828 791 808 839 822 839 761 789 525 541 
			 Estimated total 11,194 10,753 10,370 11,041 10,624 10,119 10,391 10,581 10,160 11,435 
			 (1) OECD and Eurostat data collections allow countries to report estimates referring to either ‘usual/permanent residence’ or ‘country of prior education’ to define mobile students. (2) Covers students in all years of study. (3) These estimates do not include students on exchange programmes or those studying for a qualification with a full-time equivalent duration of less than two years. (4) Denotes missing. Note: Numbers in italics are internal estimates/adjustments to ‘correct’ for implausible values, missing data and methodological changes. Source: OECD and Eurostat data collections 
		
	
	
		
			 Table 2: EU member state (non-UK) domiciled(1) enrolments(2) at UK higher education institutions: Academic years 2001/01 to 2010/11 
			 EU member state 2001/02 2002/03 2003/04 2004/05 2005/06 2006/07 2007/08 2008/09 2009/10 2010/11 
			 Austria 1,020 1,145 1,265 1,255 1,300 1,355 1,415 1,380 1,490 1,695 
			 Belgium 2,105 2,215 2,325 2,300 2,365 2,440 2,475 2,565 2,755 2,955 
			 Bulgaria — — — — — — 1,250 2,185 3,395 4,615 
			 Cyprus — — — 5,490 6,950 8,360 9,640 10,370 11,160 11,320 
			 Czech Republic — — — 590 860 1,130 1,300 1,315 1,195 1,185 
			 Denmark 1,530 1,650 1,595 1,575 1,515 1,470 1,515 1,525 1,555 1,530 
			 Estonia — — — 175 350 520 660 840 955 1,060 
			 Finland 2,045 1,915 1,830 1,685 1,710 1,625 1,665 1,680 1,760 1,880 
			 France 9,430 9,995 10,690 11,035 11,835 12,385 12,715 13,115 13,805 13,370 
			 Germany 10,285 11,150 11,440 11,895 12,520 13,145 13,625 14,130 15,425 16,265 
			 Gibraltar 690 695 680 610 600 620 620 615 625 665 
			 Greece 26,575 24,005 20,785 17,585 15,740 14,025 12,625 12,035 11,785 11,630 
			 Hungary — — — 570 775 995 1,025 1,130 1,170 1,155 
			 Ireland 12,735 13,020 14,235 15,780 16,120 15,585 15,260 15,360 16,595 16,855 
			 Italy 4,770 5,005 4,765 4,845 4,975 5,430 5,605 6,040 6,550 7,100 
			 Latvia — — — 255 520 865 1,145 1,370 1,635 2,025 
			 Lithuania — — — 415 960 1,465 1,970 2,410 2,930 3,895 
		
	
	
		
			 Luxembourg 695 780 810 800 800 830 835 890 960 1,000 
			 Malta — — — 555 705 745 820 900 995 1,030 
			 Netherlands 2,025 2,260 2,320 2,275 2,510 2,620 3,040 3,200 3,270 3,340 
			 Poland — — — 2,130 4,245 6,640 8,570 9,145 8,415 7,330 
			 Portugal 2,135 2,305 2,435 2,590 2,680 2,785 2,830 2,755 2,685 2,660 
			 Romania — — — — — — 1,180 2,160 3,190 4,625 
			 Slovakia — — — 345 630 875 1,115 1,305 1,405 1,410 
			 Slovenia — — — 300 280 255 285 270 290 295 
			 Spain 5,415 5,830 5,795 5,615 5,840 5,965 5,750 5,700 5,730 5,820 
			 Sweden 3,535 3,530 3,285 3,325 3,210 3,275 3,195 3,185 3,200 3,335 
			 European Union, not otherwise specified — — — — — — 15 85 120 85 
			 Total 84,985 85,500 84,250 93,995 99,985 105,410 112,150 117,660 125,045 130,120 
			 (1) Domicile refers to the country of a student's permanent or home address prior to entry to their course. (2) Covers students in all years of study. Notes: Figures are based on a HESA standard registration population and have been rounded up or down to the nearest multiple of five, so components may not sum to totals. Source: Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) Student Record

Overseas Students: Loans

Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps he has taken to ensure repayment of debts by EU students who take out loans with the Student Loan Company.

David Willetts: Since 2006/07, EU students have been entitled to loans for their tuition fees at English higher education institutions. If they choose to take out a loan, the Student Loan Company (SLC) pays their fees directly to their higher education institution.
	When applying for support, EU students must provide proof of identity, and provide their home address and term-time address, and the names and addresses of two other contacts. They also provide their national insurance number if they have one, and are asked to supply email addresses, and telephone numbers.
	Those staying in the UK after completing their course are all expected to obtain a national insurance number, and will make repayments through the UK tax system. The SLC has established repayment arrangements for all borrowers who move overseas, whether temporarily or permanently. The SLC asks for information about earnings and gives the borrower a monthly repayment schedule for a 12 month period. The banded overseas repayment thresholds take account of the level of affordability in different countries. This means that repayments will still be income contingent and based on ability to repay, wherever the borrower lives.
	Where borrowers fail to respond to the SLC, they become liable for a standard rate of repayment of £246 per month. Where necessary, the SLC uses international tracing agents to locate borrowers and, where appropriate, legal action is taken.
	The SLC is currently considering several options to make it easier for overseas borrowers to make repayments, as well as other techniques that would help increase collections.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Developing Countries: Coal Fired Power Stations

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what his policy is on UK export finance support for unabated coal-fired power stations in middle income countries.

Norman Lamb: I have been asked to reply 
	on behalf of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.
	The coalition agreement sets out the Government's commitment to ensure that
	“UK Trade and Investment and the UK Export Finance (listed as Export Credits Guarantee Department—ECGD) become champions for British companies that develop and export innovative green technologies around the world, instead of supporting investment in dirty fossil-fuel energy production”.
	The Government will make further announcements on implementation of this commitment in due course.

EDUCATION

Academies: Complaints

Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many complaints against academies and free schools have been upheld, in full or part, by (a) his Department and (b) the Education Funding Agency.

Tim Loughton: At present the (a) Department does not hold these data centrally and (b) the Education Funding Agency was created on 1 April 2012. In the future the Department will be providing this information to the Education Select Committee in an annual report.

Adoption

Robert Buckland: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what recent representations he has received on the publication of local authority adoption scorecards; and if he will make a statement.

Tim Loughton: We have received a range of representations about the publication of the adoption scorecards.
	We worked with national organisations such as the Local Government Association (LGA) and Association of Directors of Children's Services (ADCS) as we developed proposals for the scorecards, and plans for their publication. Those organisations and other national adoption organisations commented publicly when the proposals were announced in the Adoption Action Plan and when the first set of scorecards was published. Their comments are available on their websites.
	Since we published the scorecards we have been meeting local authorities where the data in the scorecard raise concerns. The local authorities we have met have given us their views about the scorecard. Some local authorities have expressed concern about the use of scorecards focused on adoption timeliness, while others have found it a useful prompt for assessing their performance and developing plans for improvement.

CAFCASS

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education 
	(1)  what the budget is for the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service in each year until 2015;
	(2)  what plans he has for future staffing numbers within the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service.

Tim Loughton: CAFCASS budget for 2012-13 was confirmed in the remit letter of March 2012 and is as follows:
	
		
			  Budget 2012-13 (£ million) 
			 Programme 113.500 
			 Admin 12.732 
			 Depreciation 1.24 
			 Total 127.472 
		
	
	No decision about future funding has yet been made. However, in light of the current climate, all Government spending is subject to regular review. The future staffing numbers will, to a large extent, depend on the budget for the service.

Children in Care: Disclosure of Information

Graham Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will introduce legislation to allow police forces access to the names and addresses of all local authority children's homes in their area.

Tim Loughton: We agree there should not be barriers in regulation preventing Ofsted from sharing information with the police about the location of children's homes so that children are effectively safeguarded and we will be looking at options for changing legislation as announced on 3 July.

Computers

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many requests have been made to his Department's IT department from (a) Ministers, (b) officials and (c) special advisers requesting information about the process of replacing their desktop computers in the last 12 months.

Tim Loughton: holding answer 26 June 2012
	No requests have been made to the Department's IT service desk from Ministers, officials or special advisers for information about the process of replacing their desktop computers. However the Department is moving to a “thin client” IT infrastructure which will require the replacement of desktop computers with devices that support the new IT system. As part of the roll-out of this system, security questions have been raised about destruction of data on the old PC hard drives.

Conservative Party and Liberal Democrats

Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what (a) grants and (b) contracts his Department has awarded to companies or organisations run by individuals who were previously employed in any capacity by (i) the Conservative Party or its elected representatives and (ii) the Liberal Democrat Party or its elected representatives since May 2010; what the (A) value and (B) nature was of these contracts; and whether they were publicly advertised.

Tim Loughton: We hold details of organisations that receive a grant from or were awarded a contract by the Department, but we do not hold any further detail about individuals within those organisations to know whether they were employed by or held an elected position of the Conservative Party or the Liberal Democrat Party. To provide this information would incur disproportionate costs to this Department.
	With regard to grants, within the Department we have a stated aim, endorsed by our former permanent secretary, of competing all grants that the Department gives. Depending on the subject matter of each grant, we advertise on Contracts Finder:
	http://www.contractsfinder.businesslink.gov.uk
	relevant trade websites or publications or on the Funding Central website:
	http://www.fundingcentral.org.uk/Default.aspx
	With regard to contracts, it is the Department's policy to advertise all suitable contracts in either Contracts Finder (link as above), the Official Journal of the European Union:
	http://ted.europa.eu/TED/main/HomePage.do
	or other publications relevant to the subject matter of the contract.
	A suitable contract is one with a value over £20,000 and where the goods or services are not available via an existing framework agreement. Contracts with a value below £20,000 and which are not available from a framework agreement are competitively tendered by selecting suitable organisations to bid based on objective criteria.

Conservative Party and Liberal Democrats

Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education 
	(1)  what the (a) job title and (b) pay band was of each official, excluding special advisers, recruited by his Department since May 2010 who was previously employed in any capacity by the (i) Conservative Party or its elected representatives and (ii) Liberal Democrat Party or its elected representatives; and whether their position was advertised publicly;
	(2)  what the (a) job title and (b) pay band was of each official, excluding special advisers, recruited by his Department since May 2010 who previously held an elected position as a member of the (i) Conservative Party and (ii) Liberal Democrat Party; and whether their position was advertised publicly.

Tim Loughton: The Department checks the references of new employees and asks for them to declare any issues like a conflict of interest for security purposes, but it does not capture or record information on their past employment in this form. We are not aware of any appointees since May 2010 who had previously held elected posts or were employed in any capacity by (i) Conservative Party or its elected representatives and (ii) Liberal Democrat Party or its elected representatives.

Curriculum

Anne-Marie Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether primary legislation would be required to reclassify subjects and areas of learning on the national curriculum to become statutory parts of the basic curriculum.

Nick Gibb: Primary legislation would not be required either to remove subjects from the national curriculum, or to add requirements to the basic curriculum. The Education Act 2002 enables orders to be made by the Secretary of State for Education which either amend provisions relating to the national curriculum or add requirements to the basic curriculum.
	We announced on 11 June that we do not intend to move any subjects or areas of learning from the national curriculum to the basic curriculum at primary level. We will make a further announcement in relation to the secondary curriculum in due course.

Departmental Responsibilities

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many ministerial directions have been sought by his Department in each quarter since September 2011; and on what issues they were sought.

Tim Loughton: holding answer 18 June 2012
	No ministerial directions have been sought by, or issued to, the Department's accounting officer since September 2011.

Disciplinary Proceedings

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many disciplinary procedures have been brought against (a) special advisers and (b) civil servants in his Department regarding the use of private emails, IT security or data protection in the last 12 months.

Tim Loughton: In the last 12 months there have been less than five disciplinary procedures against civil servants, regarding the use of private emails, IT security or data protection.

Education Act 2011

Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what staffing changes he has made to his Department to prepare for the commencement of section 45 of the Education Act 2011.

Tim Loughton: The Department has formed a new School Complaints Unit to improve its current school complaints handling procedures. This team will also undertake some of the preparations for the commencement of section 45 of the Education Act 2011. The unit is working alongside policy and correspondence teams as well as external organisations to make improvements to how complaints are managed in the Department.

Education: Assessments

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what qualifications other than GCSEs are offered to pupils of GCSE-age studying in England; and what the required ability ranges are for pupils for each such qualification.

Nick Gibb: There are 4,440 Ofqual-accredited non-GCSE qualifications, which can be offered at Key Stage 4 in England; 140 qualifications that may be taught from September 2012 have been approved by the Department as meeting the standards for inclusion in schools performance tables. It is for schools to decide which qualifications meet the ability and needs of individual pupils! The full list of 4,440 qualifications, including the 140, can be found at:
	www.education.gov.uk/section96/
	and has also been placed in the House Libraries.

English Language: GCSE

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will take steps to promote a greater emphasis on teaching accurate grammar, punctuation and spelling in the English Language GCSE.

Nick Gibb: The Government are committed to ensuring that our qualifications match the best in the world. We want to give every child the opportunity to acquire the rigorous qualifications they need to succeed in further and higher education and the world of work. It is essential that young people are taught to write clearly and accurately and are assessed on those skills. Many employers report that young people, even those with good GCSE grades, do not demonstrate these skills adequately.
	GCSEs in English language and English already include the assessment of written communication skills. At least 12% of marks in these GCSEs are awarded for students' use of a range of sentence structures for clarity, purpose and effect, and for accurate punctuation and spelling.
	As part of our qualifications reforms we have already made a number of changes to GCSEs to ensure that the focus is put back on sound teaching with external examination across the subject at the end of the course. Marks for accurate spelling, punctuation and grammar have been restored to examinations in other key subjects: English literature, geography, history and religious studies. These reforms will take effect from September this year.
	We are considering our longer-term reforms in detail and we will set out our proposals shortly.

Free Schools

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what public funding each independent school has received in adopting or applying to adopt free school status.

Nick Gibb: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given on 25 April 2012, Official Report, column 927W.

Free Schools

Richard Fuller: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many applications were submitted to open free schools in the application round which closed in February 2012; and how many such applications were from open 16 to 19 science, technology, engineering and mathematics colleges.

Nick Gibb: The Department is currently assessing the applications it has received to establish free schools in 2013 and beyond. The Secretary of State for Education, my right hon. Friend the Member for Surrey Heath (Michael Gove), will make an announcement on the numbers of applications received in due course.

Free Schools: Disadvantaged

Elizabeth Truss: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will list the free schools approved to open according to which decile of the deprivation index the lower level super output area in which the school is to be located is in.

Nick Gibb: holding answer 28 June 2012
	The Department has published the deprivation banding of the free schools that opened in September 2011 at:
	http://media.education.gov.uk/assets/files/deprivation%20banding%20of%20free%20schools.pdf
	We will publish the bandings for free schools opening in September 2012 when these schools open.

GCSE

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many young people in Warrington gained five good GCSEs in each year from 1997 to the last year for which figures are available; and what proportion of the eligible cohort this represents by gender.

Nick Gibb: holding answer 28 June 2012
	The information requested can be found in the following table for 1996/97 to 2010/11. A gender breakdown for the years 1996/97 to 2003/04 can be supplied only at disproportionate cost.
	
		
			 Numbers(1,2,3,4,5,6) and percentages of pupils at the end of key stage 4 achieving five or more A*-C grades at GCSE or equivalent in Warrington local authority. Years: 1996/97 to 2010/11 (final data). Coverage: Warrington local authority 
			  All Boys Girls 
			  Number Percentage Number Percentage Number Percentage 
			 1996/97(7) 5,636 48.5 n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 1997/98 1,060 48.4 n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 1998/99 1,169 49.7 n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 1999/2000 1,195 50.5 n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 2000/01 1,229 50.3 n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 2001/02 1,312 51.9 n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 2002/03 1,404 56.4 n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 2003/04 1,476 58.6 n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 2004/05 1,571 61.3 723 55.9 848 66.8 
			 2005/06 1,664 66.4 769 62.4 895 70.3 
			 2006/07 1,878 69.9 876 65.4 1,002 74.4 
			 2007/08 1,842 71.6 914 67.5 928 76.1 
			 2008/09 1,988 77.4 978 73.6 1,010 81.3 
			 2009/10 1,994 78.6 1,016 76.4 978 81.1 
			 2010/11 2,056 83.1 990 79.3 1,066 86.9 
			 n/a = Figures are not available. (1) Figures do not include pupils recently arrived from overseas. (2) Figures include all maintained schools (including CTCs and academies). (3) From 1996/97 figures include GNVQ equivalencies and from 2003/04 other equivalencies for use pre-16. (4) Figures for 2004/05 onwards are based on pupils at the end of key stage 4. Data for previous years are based on pupils aged 15-years-old at the start of the academic year. (5) Figures for all years are based on final data. (6) From 2009/10 iGCSEs, accredited at time of publication, have been counted as GCSE equivalents. (7) 1996/97 figures are for Cheshire local authority. Cheshire split into the new local authorities of Warrington, Halton and Cheshire in 1998. Source: Performance tables (1996/97 to 2003/04), National Pupil Database (2004/05 to 2010/11

GCSE

Damian Hinds: To ask the Secretary of State for Education 
	(1)  how many and what proportion of GCSE entries were at (a) foundation and (b) higher level in the latest period for which figures are available;
	(2)  how many and what proportion of GCSE entries were in (a) tiered and (b) untiered subjects in each year since the introduction of GCSEs;
	(3)  how many and what proportion of GCSE entries were at (a) foundation and (b) higher level in each year since the introduction of the GCSE.

Kevin Brennan: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many GCSE foundation level entries there were in each of the last three years; and what proportion of GCSE entries this represented in each year.

Nick Gibb: holding answer 2 July 2012
	All GCSEs are either level 1 or level 2 qualifications but examinations are not available for level 1 and level 2 separately. In some subjects tiered papers are available focussing on either grades A*-D (higher tier) or grades C-G (foundation tier). Other subjects have untiered assessment in which the full range of grades is available. The Department holds information on GCSE entries and grades but does not hold information on the tiered papers for which pupils are entered.

GCSE

Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what discussions he has had with the Association of Colleges on his proposals for the future of GCSEs.

Nick Gibb: We are considering options for the long-term reform of key stage 4 examinations and will set out our proposals shortly.

Government Procurement Card

Rachel Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many procurement card holders in his Department were (a) paid off-payroll, (b) employed on a part-time basis and (c) employed as a non-permanent employee in (i) 2009-10, (ii) 2010-11 and (iii) 2011-12.

Tim Loughton: The information requested is provided in the following table:
	
		
			  2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 
			 Paid off-payroll — — — 
			 Part-time 11 11 12 
			 Non-permanent — — —

Government Procurement Card

Rachel Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for Education on which dates his Department has published Government procurement card spending over £500 since May 2010.

Tim Loughton: The Department for Education publishes Government procurement card spending over £500 on a monthly basis. The information is published on the last day of the month (for the previous month).
	Historically, data for April 2011 to June 2011 were published at the end of September 2011, and data for July 2011 to September 2011 were published at the end of October 2011.
	The Department for Education publishes the information to :
	http://www.education.gov.uk/aboutdfe/departmentalinformation/transparency/expenditure

Health Insurance

Gordon Henderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many staff working in his Department are entitled to private health care as part of their remuneration package.

Tim Loughton: The Department for Education does not provide private health care as part of its core remuneration package.

Intercountry Adoption: Belarus

James Wharton: To ask the Secretary of State for Education 
	(1)  what discussions his Department has had with the Government of Belarus on adoption by UK families of orphans from that country;
	(2)  what agreements the UK has with the Government of Belarus on the adoption by UK families of orphans from that country.

Tim Loughton: The Department for Education is responsible for adoption matters. The Department has had no discussions with Belarus since November 2004. Both the UK and Belarus have implemented the 1993 Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption which sets out international standards and processes for intercountry adoption. This Department has no separate agreement with Belarus.

Pay

Rachel Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what the (a) highest, (b) median, (c) median full-time equivalent and (d) lowest full-time equivalent salary was paid by (i) his Department and (ii) its public bodies in (A) 2010-11, (B) 2011-12 and (C) 2012-13.

Tim Loughton: The information requested for the Department of Education is set out in the table. The Department does not hold salary information for its public bodies.
	To preserve individual confidentiality, a band rather than an amount has been provided for the highest salary.
	
		
			  2010/11 2011/12 As at 1 April 2012 
			 Highest salary £180,000 to £185,000 £140,000 to £145,000 £157,000 to £162,000 
			 Lowest salary £15,266 £15,516 £15,516 
			 Median salary (FTE) £33,548 £33,997 £34,181 
			 Median salary (not FTE) £33,350 £33,350 £33,404

Primary Education: Inspections

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether a primary school can be inspected by Ofsted and given a level 2 good rating if it has a poor attendance record and poor attainment rates at Key Stage 2.

Nick Gibb: holding answer 18 June 2012
	This question is a matter for Ofsted. HM Chief Inspector, Sir Michael Wilshaw, has written to my hon. Friend, and a copy of his response has been placed in the House Libraries.
	Letter from Sir Michael Wilshaw, dated 13 June 2012
	Your recent Parliamentary Question has been passed to me, as Her Majesty's Chief Inspector, for response.
	Where a school has persistently low attainment rates which show little or no sign of improvement, or are in decline, it is highly unlikely that inspectors would judge it to be 'good'. However, there may be some exceptional circumstances. For example, where attainment is low but rising rapidly, and pupils are making good or even outstanding progress, a school might be judged to be 'good'.
	Where attendance is well below average and the school has been unable to make improvements, it is unlikely to be judged 'good'. However, where attendance is low but inspection evidence shows that the school is successfully making improvements and attendance has been rising over a sustained period, this may contribute to a judgement that the school is 'good'.

Procurement

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what the total (a) number and (b) value of contracts issued by (i) his Department and (ii) bodies for which he is responsible which were awarded to small and medium-sized enterprises was in the latest period for which figures are available.

Tim Loughton: The number of contracts awarded to small and medium-sized enterprises (SME's) in the 2011/12 financial year was 61. The total spend with SME's in the financial 2011/12 was £47.6 million.

Publications

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many publications have been issued by his Department since May 2010.

Tim Loughton: Records show that this Department has issued 15 printed publication titles since May 2010. Other information has been published on our website rather than as a printed publication. This is in order to secure value for money and promote wider access to our material.

Publications

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education pursuant to the answer of 11 June 2012, Official Report, column 383W, on publications, if he will list the number of copies of each publication to which his private office subscribes; and if he will publish the annual subscription cost for each item.

Tim Loughton: The information requested is as follows:
	(1) Daily newspapers
	The Wall Street Journal: five copies per week
	The Financial Times: five copies per week
	The Guardian: five copies per week
	The Independent: five copies per week
	The Daily Mail: five copies per week
	The Daily Express: five copies per week
	The DailyMirror: five copies per week
	The Sun: five copies per week
	The Times: five copies per week
	The Daily Telegraph: five copies per week
	(2) Weekly periodicals
	The Economist: one copy per week
	New Statesman: one copy per week
	The Spectator: one copy per week
	Times Higher Education: one copy per week
	Times Educational Supplement: one copy per week
	(3) Other periodicals
	London Review of Books: one copy per fortnight
	The New York Review of Books: one copy per fortnight.
	The annual subscription cost for each item is not held in such a way that they can be separately identified.

Pupil Exclusions: Essex

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many decisions by head teachers to exclude pupils were overturned by appeals panels in (a) Witham constituency and (b) Essex in the latest year for which figures are available.

Nick Gibb: The available information for 2009/10 is shown in the table. This includes the number of appeals against permanent exclusion that have been determined in favour of the parent/pupil and the numbers of appeals where reinstatement was directed, for England and Essex local authority. Parliamentary constituency information is not available as data is collected at local authority level.
	This information is taken from the Statistical First Release 'Permanent and Fixed Period Exclusions from Schools in England, 2009/10' available at
	http://www.education.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s001016/index.shtml
	Information about appeals against permanent exclusion in 2010/11 will be published in the 'Permanent and Fixed Period Exclusions from Schools in England, 2010/11' Statistical First Release on 25 July at
	http://www.education.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s001080/index.shtml
	
		
			 Maintained primary, secondary and special schools(1). Appeals against permanent exclusion England, 2009/10 
			  Number of appeals lodged Number of appeals heard Percentage of appeals heard(2) Number of appeals determined in favour of the parent/pupil Percentage of appeals determined in favour of the parent/pupil(3) Number of successful appeals where reinstatement was directed Percentage of successful appeals where reinstatement was directed(4) 
			 England 510 470 91.4 110 24.0 30 26.8 
			 Essex local authority 13 13 100.0 7 53.8 * * 
			 * = 1 or 2 pupils, or a percentage based on 1 or 2 pupils (1) Excludes non-maintained special schools, city technology colleges and academies. (2) Shown as a percentage of appeals lodged. (3) Shown as a percentage of appeals heard. (4) Shown as a percentage of appeals determined in favour of the parent/pupil. Note: National totals may not appear to equal the sum of component parts because numbers have been rounded to the nearest 10. Source: School Exclusion Appeals Survey

Recruitment

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Education pursuant to the answer of 21 May 2012, Official Report, column 489W, on recruitment, to what extent his Department and its non-departmental public bodies and executive agencies used name-blank CVs or the blind sift function on the Civil Service Resourcing e-recruitment system to recruit staff in the last year.

Tim Loughton: The Department and its executive agencies have not used the Civil Service Resourcing e-recruitment system.
	Of our non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs) Cafcass do not recruit staff using name blank CVs or the blind sift function of the civil service e-recruitment system. The Office for the Children's Commissioner (OCC) anonymise CVs/applications but this is done independently of the blind sifting function within the civil service e-recruitment system.

Regulation

Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Education which regulations his Department repealed between 1 February 2012 and 31 May 2012; and what the anticipated total savings will be from repealing those regulations.

Tim Loughton: holding answer 18 June 2012
	In the period 1 February 2012 to 31 May 2012, the Department for Education revoked 44 sets of regulations. The Government's aim is to reduce unnecessary bureaucracy on teachers, heads and governors so that they can focus on raising standards, rather than administrative tasks. It is not our intention to estimate the potential cost savings for the revoked regulations, but we are looking into assessing the impact of our measures on teachers' time.
	Details of which regulations have been revoked are set out in the following table. However, as indicated by the third column of the table, in some cases the content of the revoked statutory instrument has been largely replaced.
	
		
			 Regulations revoked Revoking instrument Comments 
			 The Education (Infant Class Sizes) (England) Regulations 1998 (S.I 1998/1973) The School Admissions (Infant Class Sizes) (England) Regulations 2012 (S.I. 2012/10) Replaced by revoking Regulations 
			 The Education (Infant Class Sizes) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2006 (S.I. 2006/3409) The School Admissions (Infant Class Sizes) (England) Regulations2012 (S.I. 2012/10) Replaced by revoking Regulations 
			 The Education (Head Teachers' Qualifications) (England) Regulations 2003 (S.I 2003/3111) The Education (Head Teachers' Qualifications) (England) (Revocation) Regulations 2012 (S.I. 2012/18 Revoked 
			 The Education (Head Teachers' Qualifications) (Amendment) (England) Regulations 2005 (S.I 2005/875)   
			 The Education (Head Teachers' Qualifications) (England) (Amendment) (No 2) Regulations 2005 (S.I 2005/3322)   
			 The Education (Head Teachers' Qualifications) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2011 (S.I 2011/602)   
			 The School Finance (England) Regulations2008 (S.I 2008/228) The School Finance(England) Regulations 2012 (S.I. 2012/335) Replaced by revoking Regulations 
			 The School Finance (Amendment) (England) Regulations 2010 (S.I 2010/210)   
			 The Education (Teacher Student Loans) (Repayment etc) Regulations 2002 (S.I 2002/2086) The Education (Teacher Student Loans) (Repayment etc) (Amendment) Regulations 2012 (S.I. 2012/555) Revoked 
			 The Consistent Financial Reporting (England) Regulations 2003 (S.I 2003/373) The Consistent Financial Reporting (England) Regulations 2012 (S.I. 2012/674) Replaced by revoking Regulations 
			 The Consistent Financial Reporting (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2004 (S.I 2004/393) The Consistent Financial Reporting (England) Regulations 2012 (S.I. 2012/674) Replaced by revoking Regulations 
			 The Consistent Financial Reporting (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2006 (S.I 2006/437)   
			 The Consistent Financial Reporting (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2007 (S.I 2007/599)   
			 The Consistent Financial Reporting (England) (Amendment). Regulations 2008 (S.I. 2008/46)   
			 The Education (Specified Work and Registration) (England) Regulations (S.I 2003 2003/1663) The Education (Specified Work) (England) Regulations 2012 (S.I. 2012/762) Replaced by revoking Regulations save for paragraph 1 (1) of Part 2 to those regulations which continues to have effect. 
			 The Education (Specified Work and Registration) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2007 (S.I 2007/2177)  Replaced by revoking Regulations 
			 The Education (Specified Work and Registration) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2008 (S.I. 2008/1883)   
			 The General Teaching Council for England (Constitution) Regulations 1999 (S.I. 1999/1726) The Education Act 2011 (Abolition of the GTCE Consequential Amendments and Revocations) Order 2012 (S.I. 2012/1153) Revoked 
			 The General Teaching Council for England (Constitution) (Amendment) Regulations 1999 (S.I. 1999/2019) The Education Act 2011 (Abolition of the GTCE Consequential Amendments and Revocations) Order 2012 (S.I. 2012/1153) Revoked 
			 The General Teaching Council for England (Constitution) (Amendment) Regulations 2000 (S.I. 2000/1447)   
			 The General Teaching Council for England (Constitution) (Amendment) Regulations 2004 (S.I. 2004/1935)   
			 The Equality Act 2006 (Dissolution of Commissions and Consequential and Transitional Provisions) Order 2007 (S.I. 2007/2602)  Paragraph 2 of the Schedule was revoked 
		
	
	
		
			 The Education (Miscellaneous Amendments relating to Safeguarding Children) (England) Regulations2009 (S.I. 2009/1924)  Regulation 3 was revoked 
			 The General Teaching Council for England (Additional Functions) Order 2000 (S.I. 2000/2175)  Revoked 
			 The General Teaching Council for England (Additional Functions) (Amendment) Order 2001 (S.I. 2001/1270)   
			 The General Teaching Council for England (Disciplinary Functions) Regulations 2001 (S.I. 2001/1268)   
			 The General Teaching Council for England (Disciplinary Functions) (Amendment) Regulations 2003 (S.I. 2003/1186) The Education Act 2011 (Abolition of the GTCE Consequential Amendments and Revocations) Order 2012 (S.I 2012/1153) Revoked 
			 The General Teaching Council for England (Disciplinary Functions) (Amendment) Regulations 2008 (S.I. 2008/3256)   
			 The General Teaching Council for England (Disciplinary Functions) (Amendment) Regulations 2011 (S.I. 2011/2785)   
			 The General Teaching Council for England (Registration of Teachers) Regulations 2000 (S.I. 2000/2176)   
			 The General Teaching Council for England (Registration of Teachers) (Amendment) Regulations 2001 (S.I. 2001/23)   
			 The General Teaching Council for England (Registration of Teachers) (Amendment No 2) Regulations 2001(S.I. 2001/1267)   
			 The General Teaching Council for England (Registration of Teachers) (Amendment) Regulations 2007 (S.I. 2007/1883)   
			 The General Teaching Council for England (Deduction of Fees) Regulations 2001 (S.I. 2001/3993)   
			 The General Teaching Council for England (Deduction of Fees) (Amendment) Regulations 2003 (S.I. 2003/985) The Education Act 2011 (Abolition of the GTCE Consequential Amendments and Revocations) Order 2012 (S.I. 2012/1153) Revoked 
			 The Education Act 2002 (School Teachers) (Consequential Amendments, etc) (England) Regulations 2003 (S.I. 2003/2039)  Regulation 3 was revoked 
			 The Secretaries of State for Children, Schools and Families, for Innovation, Universities and Skills and for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Order 2007 (S.I. 2007/3224)  Paragraph 30 of the Schedule was revoked 
			 The Secretary of State for Education Order 2010 (S.I. 2010/1836)  Paragraph 11 (d) of the Schedule were revoked 
			 The General Teaching Council for England (Additional Functions) Order 2004 (S.I. 2004/1886)  Revoked 
			 The General Teaching Council for England (Eligibility for Provisional Registration) Regulations 2008 (S.I. 2008/1884)   
			 The General Teaching Council (Registration of Temporary Teachers from Relevant European States) (England and Wales) Regulations 2009 (S.I. 2009/3200)  The whole instrument in so far as it applies in relation to England. 
			 The Education (Publication of Proposals) (Sixth Form College Corporations) (England) Regulations 2010 (S.I. 2010/2609) The Sixth Form College Corporations (Publication of Proposals) (England) Regulations 2012 Replaced by revoking Regulations save for where, before 1 April 2012 the responsible local authority made a proposal to which section 33N of the Further and Higher Education Act 1992 applies. 
			 The Children Act 2004 Information Database (England) Regulations 2007 (S.1. 2007/2182) The Children's Act 2004 Information Database (England) (Revocation) Regulations 2012 (2012/1278) Revoked 
			 The Children Act 2004 Information Database (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2010 (S.I. 2010/1213)

Regulation

Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what regulations his Department introduced between 1 February 2012 and 31 May 2012; and at what cost to the public purse.

Tim Loughton: holding answer 27 June 2012
	In the period 1 February 2012 to 31 May 2012 the Department for Education made 40 regulations and orders (statutory instruments).
	Two of the statutory instruments revoke existing legislation, three revoke and replace existing regulations, 20 amend existing regulations and two are commencement orders which bring into force provisions of primary legislation (the Education Act 2011) and are not subject to parliamentary procedure.
	In some cases, the effect of a particular regulation would be sufficient to warrant an impact assessment (in line with the rules set out by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills). The impact assessment would include the cost to the frontline of implementing the regulation. Where an impact assessment has been produced, this would be indicated in the Explanatory Memorandum accompanying the regulation. In relation to those statutory instruments listed as follows, it was envisaged that there
	would be little or no impact upon business, charities, voluntary bodies or the public sector.
	The following statutory instruments were made and came into force between 1 February 2012 and 31 May 2012:
	
		
			 Title Made Laid In force 
			 Children Act 2004 Information Database (England) (Revocation) Regulations 2012 14 May 2012 — 15 May 2012 
			 Education (Pupil Referral Units) (Application of Enactments) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2012 1 May 2012 8 May 2012 31 May 2012 
			 Sixth Form College Corporations (Publication of Proposals) (England) Regulations 2012 30 April 2012 1 May 2012 22 May 2012 
			 Education Act 2011 (Abolition of the GTCE Consequential Amendments and Revocations) Order 2012 25 April 2012 3 May 2012 25 May 2012 
			 Wiltshire Council (Arrangements for the Provision of Suitable Education) Order 2012 18 April 2012 23 April 2012 18 May 2012 
			 Alternative Provision Academies and 16 to 19 Academies (Consequential Amendments to Subordinate Legislation) (England) Order 2012 29 March 2012 4 April 2012 1 May 2012 
			 Alternative Provision Academies (Consequential Amendments to Acts) (England) Order 2012 29 March 2012 — 1 April 2012 
			 Young People's Learning Agency Abolition (Consequential Amendments to Subordinate Legislation) (England) Order 2012 26 March 2012 3 April 2012 1 May 2012 
			 Schools (Specification and Disposal of Articles) Regulations 2012 27 March 2012 — 1 April 2012 
			 Education Act 2011 (Commencement No. 3 and Transitional and Savings Provisions) Order 2012 22 March 2012 — 1 April 2012 
			 Education (National Curriculum) (Key Stage 2 Assessment Arrangements) (England) (Amendment) Order 2012 14 March 2012 — 15 March 2012 
			 Education Act 2011 (Consequential Amendments to Subordinate Legislation) Order 2012 8 March 2012 9 March 2012 1 April 2012 
			 Education (Specified Work) (England) Regulations 2012 8 March 2012 9 March 2012 1 April 2012 
			 Education (School Teachers' Prescribed Qualifications, etc.) (Amendment) Order 2012 5 March 2012 8 March 2012 1 April 2012 
			 Consistent Financial Reporting (England) Regulations 2012 2 March 2012 8 March 2012 31 March 2012 
			 Teachers' Pensions (Amendment) Regulations 2012 2 March 2012 8 March 2012 1 April 2012 
			 School Behaviour (Determination and Publicising of Measures in Academies) Regulations 2012 29 February 2012 7 March 2012 1 April 2012 
			 Teachers' Disciplinary (England) Regulations 2012 28 February 2012 5 March 2012 1 April 2012 
			 Education (Teacher Student Loans) (Repayment etc.) (Amendment) Regulations 2012 28 February 2012 5 March 2012 1 April 2012 
			 Education (Induction Arrangements for School Teachers) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2012 28 February 2012 5 March 2012 1 April 2012 
			 Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Education, Children's Services and Skills (Fees and Frequency of Inspections) (Children's Homes etc.) (Amendment) Regulations 2012 23 February 2012 29 February 2012 1 April 2012 
			 Public Interest Disclosure (Prescribed Persons) (Amendment) Order 2012 21 February 2012 28 February 2012 22 March 2012 
			 Education (School Teachers) (Qualifications and Appraisal) (Miscellaneous Amendments) (England) Regulations 2012 8 March 2012 9 March 2012 1 April 2012 
			 School Governance (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2012 17 February 2012 24 February 2012 17 March 2012 
			 School Finance (England) Regulations 2012 8 February 2012 16 February 2012 15 March 2012 
		
	
	15 of the statutory instruments were made during the relevant period but come into force after 31 May 2012:
	
		
			 Title Made Laid In force 
			 Adoption Agencies (Panel and Consequential Amendments) Regulations 2012 28 May 2012 1 June 2012 1 September 2012 
			 Education (Exemption from School Inspection) (England) Regulations 2012 15 May 2012 18 May 2012 8 June 2012 
			 Education (School Performance Information) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2012 14 May 2012 18 May 2012 8 June 2012 
			 Education Act 2011 (Commencement No. 4 and Transitional and Savings Provisions) Order 2012 12 April 2012 — 1 August 2012 
			 School Information (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2012 19 April 2012 20 April 2012 1 September 2012 
			 Education (Induction Arrangements for School Teachers) (England) Regulations 2012 18 April 2012 20 April 2012 1 September 2012 
		
	
	
		
			 Education (Penalty Notices) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2012 2 April 2012 16 April 2012 1 September 2012 
			 School Governance (Federations) (England) Regulations 2012 14 April 2012 19 April 2012 1 September 2012 
			 School Governance (Constitution) (England) Regulations 2012 14 April 2012 19 April 2012 1 September 2012 
			 School Discipline (Pupil Exclusions and Reviews) (England) Regulations 2012 3 April 2012 13 April 2012 1 September 2012 
			 Education (Charges for Early Years Provision) Regulations 2012 27 March 2012 3 April 2012 1 September 2012 
			 Childcare (Early Years Register) (Amendment) Regulations 2012 26 March 2012 27 March 2012 1 September 2012 
			 Early Years Foundation Stage (Welfare Requirements) Regulations 2012 26 March 2012 27 March 2012 1 September 2012 
			 Early Years Foundation Stage (Learning and Development Requirements) (Amendment) Order 2012 26 March 2012 27 March 2012 1 September 2012 
			 School Teachers’ Incentive Payments (England) Order 2012 19 March 2012 26 March 2012 1 September 2012

Religion: GCSE

Robert Buckland: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many pupils took GCSE religious education in (a) South Swindon constituency and (b) England and Wales in each year since 2002; and how many are expected to take GCSE religious education in 2013.

Nick Gibb: The information requested can be found in the following table for 2004/05 to 2010/11. Data for earlier years can be provided only at disproportionate cost. The Department has made no estimate of the number of pupils expected to take GCSE religious studies in either 2012 or 2013.
	
		
			 Numbers and percentages of pupils at the end of key stage 4(1, 2) entering full GCSE religious studies and GSCE short course religious studies(3) in South Swindon constituency(4), South West region(5) and England(6) : 2004/05-2010/11—Coverage England(7) 
			  2004/05 2005/06 2006/07 2007/08 2008/09 2009/10 2010/11 
			 South Swindon:        
			 Eligible pupils 1,149 1,180 1,436 1,370 1,363 1,320 1,291 
			 Number entering full GCSE religious studies 42 38 215 211 206 235 241 
			 Percentage entering full GCSE religious studies 3.7 3.2 15.0 15.4 15.1 17.8 18.7 
			 Number entering GCSE short course religious studies 374 750 859 757 533 426 336 
			 Percentage entering GCSE short course religious studies 32.6 63.6 59.8 55.3 39.1 32.3 26.0 
			         
			 South West:        
			 Eligible pupils 57,379 58,108 57,968 57,593 56,607 56,926 55,540 
			 Number entering full GCSE religious studies 8,958 10,298 10,234 10,670 12,152 13,112 15,127 
			 Percentage entering full GCSE religious studies 15.6 17.7 17.7 18.5 21.5 23.0 27.2 
			 Number entering GCSE short course religious studies 25,752 26,752 29,486 30,207 28,124 26,746 23,150 
			 Percentage entering GCSE short course religious studies 44.9 46.0 50.9 52.4 49.7 47.0 41.7 
			         
			 England:        
			 Eligible pupils 582,876 592,485 598,767 595,806 576,420 575,970 564,863 
			 Number entering full GCSE religious studies 118,794 131,266 141,577 149,837 153,205 161,948 179,901 
			 Percentage entering full GCSE religious studies 20.4 22.2 23.6 25.1 26.6 28.1 31.8 
			 Number entering GCSE short course religious studies 213,266 224,998 233,485 235,901 225,067 215,473 188,034 
			 Percentage entering GCSE short course religious studies 36.6 38.0 39.0 39.6 39.0 37.4 33.3 
			 (1) Figures do not include pupils recently arrived from overseas. (2) Figures include all maintained schools (including CTCs and academies). (3) In some cases pupils have been entered into both the full and short GSCE religious studies and are therefore included in both sets of figures (around 200 pupils in 2004/05, less than 15 pupils in 2005/06 to 2008/09 and none in 2009/10 to 2010/11). (4) Parliamentary constituency figures are based on the postcode of the school. (5) Regional figures are based on the region of the local authority maintaining the school, or in the case of CTCs and academies, the local authority in which the school is situated. (6) England figures are the sum of all local authority figures. (7) Figures are given for England only as data for Wales is not available. Source: National Pupil Database (final data)

School: Standards

Robert Buckland: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many (a) schools and (b) academies were given an Outstanding grade in Ofsted inspections in (i) England and (ii) South Swindon constituency in the last year.

Nick Gibb: This question is a matter for Ofsted. HM Chief Inspector, Sir Michael Wilshaw, has written to my hon. Friend, and a copy of his response has been placed in the House Libraries.
	Letter from Sir Michael Wilshaw, dated 13 June 2012
	Your recent Parliamentary Question has been passed to me, as Her Majesty's Chief Inspector, for response.
	Since 2005, maintained school inspections have been carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005 and, more recently, the Education Act 2011. Ofsted records all judgements made by inspectors in section 5 inspections, including the judgement for the overall effectiveness of the school.
	Under section 5, Ofsted inspects maintained schools (nursery, primary, secondary and special schools and pupil referral units), state-funded independent schools such as academies and certain non-maintained special schools in England. All of these types of schools have been included in this response. On 1 January 2012 Ofsted implemented a new school inspection framework for section 5 inspections. This includes a sharper focus on the judgements that matter most and a continued drive to raise standards—particularly in literacy.
	Table A shows the number of maintained-schools judged outstanding for overall effectiveness at their section 5 inspection during the academic year 2010/11 and the academic year 2011/12: up to 31 March 2012 in the South Swindon constituency and England.
	Table B shows the number of academies judged outstanding for overall effectiveness at their section 5 inspection during the academic year 2010/11 and the academic year 2011/12 up to 31 March 2012 in the South Swindon constituency and England.
	In September 2009, Ofsted implemented a policy of more proportionate inspection using risk assessment as an aid to scheduling the inspection of good and outstanding schools. We deliberately set out to inspect a greater proportion of previously satisfactory or inadequate schools each year and a smaller proportion of previously good or outstanding schools.
	In September 2010, Ofsted deferred the inspections of previously outstanding schools and, as signalled in the Education Act 2011, is no longer routinely inspecting previously outstanding schools. These schools will not be inspected unless a complaint has been raised or the risk assessment process identifies that these schools would benefit from an inspection.
	Accordingly, the sample of schools inspected during any given period is unlikely to be representative of the nation as a whole.
	Statistics covering the outcomes of ail inspections carried out in each academic year can be found at:
	http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/resources/advanced-resources-search/results/Maintained%20schools/2/a11/any/200/any
	The most recent official statistics release covering the outcomes of maintained school inspections carried out between 1 January 2012 and 31 March 2012 was. released on 12 June 2012 and can be accessed at the same link.
	A copy of this reply has been sent to Nick Gibb MP, Minister of State for Schools, and will be placed in the Library of both Houses.
	
		
			 Table A: Schools in England and South Swindon constituency judged outstanding for their overall effectiveness in each academic year 2010/11 and2011/12 (year to date) 
			   2010/11 2011/12 (year to date) 
			 Region Phase(1) Number inspected Number outstanding Percentage outstanding Number inspected Number outstanding Percentage outstanding 
			 England Nursery 126 58 46 103 54 52 
			  Primary 4,249 323 8 3,146 312 10 
			  Secondary 894 126 14 632 83 13 
			  Special 328 91 28 199 54 27 
			  PRU 129 19 15 117 7 6 
			  All schools 5,726 617 11 4,197 510 12 
			         
			 South Swindon Nursery 0 — — 0 — — 
			  Primary 7 1 14 6 1 17 
			  Secondary 3 1 33 1 0 0 
			  Special 1 0 0 0 — — 
			  PRU 0 — — 0 — — 
			  All schools 11 2 18 7 1 14 
			 (1) Includes sponsor-led and converter academies as primary or secondary schools as appropriate. 
		
	
	
		
			 Table B: Academy schools in England and South Swindon constituency judged outstanding for their overall effectiveness in each academic year 2010/11 and 2011/12 (year to date) 
			    2010/11 2011/12 (year to date) 
			 Region Academy type Phase Number inspected Number outstanding Percentage outstanding Number inspected Number outstanding Percentage outstanding 
			 England Sponsor-led Secondary 64 12 19 65 11 17 
			  Converter Primary 4 1 25 32 7 22 
			   Secondary 7 3 43 87 26 30 
			  Total academies  75 16 21 184 44 24 
			          
			 South Swindon Sponsor-led Secondary 0 — — 0 — — 
			  Converter Primary 1 1 100 0 — — 
			   Secondary 0 — — 0 — — 
			  Total academies  1 1 100 0 — —

Schools: Capital Investment

Elizabeth Truss: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what capital costs were associated with the (a) free schools and (b) Building Schools for the Future programmes.

Nick Gibb: holding answer 28 June 2012
	In the two financial years 2010-11 and 2011-12, £50.1 million in capital spending has been allocated to establish new free schools.
	Conventional capital grant allocated to the Building Schools for the Future (BSF) programme has totalled £5.193 billion over the lifetime of the programme up to 31 March 2012. A further £1.11 billion will be spent to complete the continuing projects within the BSF programme. In addition, the capital equivalent of £3.105 billion has been, or is being, spent on BSF schools through the private finance initiative.

Schools: Complaints

Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what training has been undertaken by (a) Ministers and (b) officials in his Department to assist them in assessing complaints against schools.

Tim Loughton: Ministers considering complaints against schools have been advised on individual cases. Officials considering school complaints receive training relevant to their policy area. Officials dedicated to handling complaints are either already trained or are receiving a broad range of complaint-related training.

Schools: Complaints

Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many complaints against (a) mainstream schools and (b) free schools and academies he estimates his Department will process in the 2012-13 academic year.

Tim Loughton: The most recent analysis (Parents' and Young People's Complaints about Schools, published February 2012) carried out for the Department estimates (a) approximately 2,900 complaints may be received per annum against mainstream schools. The Department expects, based on previous experience, that a majority will not have followed the school's own complaints process. Consequently we will support the complainant by explaining their rights and redirecting their complaint.
	It is not possible to estimate how many complaints against academies and free schools the Department will process in the coming year, as any prediction will only be possible when we know the number of academies and free schools open during the period 2012-13.

Schools: Discipline

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what assessment he has made of the implementation and effectiveness of the provisions relating to school discipline in the Education Act 2011.

Nick Gibb: This Government have, through the Education Act 2011, taken action to restore teachers' authority in the classroom by strengthening their powers to promote good behaviour and maintain discipline.
	Early indications are that teachers are feeling more positive about the standard of pupils' behaviour in schools. The ‘National Foundation for Educational Research Teacher Voice Omnibus February 2012 survey: pupil behaviour’, published on 26 June, found that, of the teachers surveyed, more than three out of four (76%) said the standard of behaviour was ‘good’ or ‘very good’ in their schools. This is an increase of six percentage points compared with the previous survey in 2008. More than four out of five teachers (85%) felt well equipped to manage pupil behaviour. While these findings are encouraging, the survey also found that three out of five (60%) of teachers asked felt that ‘negative pupil behaviour is driving teachers out of the profession’. While this is a welcome decrease of eight percentage points from the 2008 survey, it shows there is still more to do. The survey's findings show how the Government's work to back teachers in improving behaviour is starting to deliver encouraging results.

Schools: News Corporation

Stephen Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what discussions he had with (a) Rupert Murdoch and (b) other staff of News Corporation and its subsidiaries on (i) the establishment of a school sponsored by News Corporation and (ii) education reform in England in the last 12 months.

Tim Loughton: holding answer 14 May 2012
	The Secretary of State for Education, my right hon. Friend the Member for Surrey Heath (Michael Gove), has provided details of meetings and discussions with Mr Murdoch and News Corporation executives within his evidence to the Leveson inquiry. This evidence is now available on the inquiry's website.

Teachers: Conditions of Employment

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps he plans to take to enable schools to remove incompetent teachers from the classroom.

Nick Gibb: We have made it easier for head teachers to identify and tackle underperformance.
	On 13 January this year we announced new arrangements for dealing with teacher performance management and capability. These will strip away much of the bureaucracy and prescription of current arrangements, giving more freedom to schools to determine their own arrangements. We have replaced lengthy model policies on performance management and capability with one single model policy covering both.
	These procedures are shorter and less complex than the current procedure and will make it possible, in some cases, for schools to dismiss under-performing teachers in about a term.

Teachers: Mathematics

Elizabeth Truss: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what proportion of mathematics teachers in primary schools have a post-GCSE qualification in mathematics.

Nick Gibb: holding answer 2 July 2012
	The information requested is not collected centrally.
	Analysis carried out by the Department from the November 2010 School Workforce Census showed that 5.3% of primary school teachers held a relevant post A-level qualification in mathematics. Qualification information including subject was received for 86% of all primary teachers in service.

Teachers: Pay

Gavin Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many and what proportion of teachers received salary increases in 2012 as a result of progressing up the pay scale.

Nick Gibb: Information for 2012 is not available because teachers are not due to receive any pay progression until September of this year. Information relating to pay progression (for previous years) at a national level can be provided only at disproportionate cost

Teachers: Pay

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether his Department plans to take steps to deregulate teachers' pay.

Nick Gibb: The Secretary of State for Education, my right hon. Friend the Member for Surrey Heath (Michael Gove), remit letter to the independent School Teachers' Review Body (STRB) sets out his aim of reforming the teachers' pay system in order to raise the status of the profession and contribute to improving the standard of teaching in our schools.
	The Secretary of State's evidence to the STRB, which has been published on the Department's website, makes the case for changing the current system and provides some potential options for the STRB's consideration. The STRB is currently consulting with a wide range of stakeholders and is due to submit its recommendations to the Secretary of State in the autumn.

Teachers: Pensions

Chris Skidmore: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how much has been paid out in pensions to retired teachers under the Teachers' Pension Scheme in each year since 2000.

Nick Gibb: The information requested has been included in the following table. The figures have been taken from the Teachers' Pension Scheme (England and Wales) Annual Accounts and represent the Teachers' Pension Scheme expenditure with regard to the payment of pensions. Dependants' pensions are included within the figures as it is not possible to identify these separately. Although dependants' pensions may not be paid directly to teachers, they do count toward the liabilities of the Scheme.
	
		
			 Year ending 31 March Pensions paid (£ billion) 
			 2000 3.14 
			 2001 3.19 
			 2002 3.37 
			 2003 (1)3.97 
			 2004 4.19 
			 2005 4.50 
			 2006 (2)4.13 
			 2007 4.40 
		
	
	
		
			 2008 4.73 
			 2009 5.11 
			 2010 5.56 
			 2011 5.84 
			 2012 6.28 
			 (1) 2003 figures restated due to the introduction of FRS 17. (2) 2006 to 2012 figures are net of recoveries and overpayments.

Teachers: Pensions

Chris Skidmore: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will estimate the total annual saving of his proposed changes to teachers' pensions in (a) 10, (b) 20 and (c) 30 years time.

Nick Gibb: The proposed changes to the Teachers' Pension Scheme have been designed to remain within the cost parameters set out by Her Majesty's Treasury following recommendations contained in the Hutton report.
	At this point the Department is working to agree the detail of the scheme design, which will be implemented in 2015. Once the scheme design is finalised a valuation will be competed and this would help to allow us to provide an estimate of savings.

Teachers: Pensions

Chris Skidmore: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what the total liabilities of the Teachers' Pension Scheme were in each year since 2000.

Nick Gibb: The information requested has been included in the following table. The figures have been taken from the Teachers' Pension Scheme (England and Wales) Annual Accounts and are the only annual liabilities available. It is important to note that the liabilities in the accounts are calculated using different assumptions and methodologies to those used to calculate the liabilities for the regular actuarial valuation of the scheme. As a result the calculation for the annual accounts may produce a figure that is higher or lower than the figure calculated for the valuation. Annual variations in the financial assumptions used can result in large fluctuations in the liabilities produced for the accounts.
	
		
			 Year ending 31 March Liabilities (£ billion) 
			 2001 98.0 
			 2002 103.0 
			 2003 108.0 
			 2004 113.0 
			 2005 119.7 
			 2006 143.0 
			 2007 181.3 
			 2008 176.5 
			 2009 168.6 
			 2010 223.9 
			 2011 192.4 
			 2012 200.6 
		
	
	Prior to 2001 the annual accounts did not include scheme liabilities. Liabilities were included from 2001 as a result of a change in accounting practices.

Teachers: Pensions

Chris Skidmore: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what the average lump sum payment made to retiring teachers is for teachers who have been employed full-time for 30 years or more.

Nick Gibb: A person who joined the Teachers' Pension Scheme (TPS) before 2007 builds a pension of 1/80 of their salary for each year of service and 3/80s as a lump sum. Therefore a typical classroom teacher, who has 30 years service and a final salary of £36,800, will receive an average pension of £13,800 and an automatic lump sum of £41,400.
	A person who joined the TPS after 2007 builds a pension of 1/60 of their salary for each year of service but do not build an automatic lump sum. They do have the option though to give up part of their pension in exchange for a lump sum. If they choose to do so they exchange up to 25% of their pension value and receive a lump sum of £12 for every £1 of pension.
	In this case a typical classroom teacher, who has 30 years service and a final salary of £36,800, will receive an average pension of £18,400. If this teacher chooses to give up the maximum amount in exchange for a lump sum they would receive a lump sum of £78,857 and a pension of £11,829.
	On average teachers retire before they have 30 years of service. In the year ending 31 March 2012, 55% of teachers retiring at the normal pension age retired with less than 30 years service. The average lump sum paid out was £37,000.

Teachers: Pensions

Chris Skidmore: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how much has been paid out in lump sum payments to members of the Teachers' Pension Scheme in each year since 2000.

Nick Gibb: The information requested on lump sums has been included in the following table. The figures have been taken from the Teachers' Pension Scheme (England and Wales) Annual Accounts, adjusted to exclude death grants paid out.
	
		
			 Year ending 31 March Lump sums paid (£ billion) 
			 2000 0.29 
			 2001 0.37 
			 2002 0.41 
			 2003 0.48 
			 2004 0.55 
			 2005 0.69 
			 2006 0.77 
			 2007 0.90 
			 2008 1.03 
			 2009 1.18 
			 2010 1.20 
			 2011 1.44 
			 2012 1.53

Teachers: Pensions

Chris Skidmore: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what the 20 largest lump sum payments made to members of the Teachers' Pension Scheme were in each of the last five years.

Nick Gibb: The 20 largest lump sum entitlements paid to members for each of the last five financial years are provided in the following table.
	
		
			  Lump sum payments (£) 
			 Year ending 31 March 2008 262,371 
		
	
	
		
			  252,375 
			  237,372 
			  236,890 
			  214,783 
			  208,677 
			  207,420 
			  207,409 
			  205,434 
			  198,860 
			  195,331 
			  195,167 
			  186,255 
			  180,787 
			  180,300 
			  179,632 
			  173,581 
			  173,313 
			  171,490 
			  167,792 
			   
			 Year ending 31 March 2009 316,070 
			  283,867 
			  237,829 
			  231,578 
			  223,056 
			  213,251 
			  201,400 
			  197,480 
			  196,904 
			  195,463 
			  192,004 
			  190,196 
			  189,947 
			  184,544 
			  184,309 
			  178,819 
			  177,631 
			  176,868 
			  171,737 
			  170,907 
			   
			 Year ending 31 March 2010 337,854 
			  328,730 
			  280,376 
			  262,418 
			  257,430 
			  257,414 
			  240,275 
			  234,897 
			  234,316 
			  220,910 
			  212,812 
			  212,276 
		
	
	
		
			  210,791 
			  208,086 
			  201,737 
			  201,453 
			  198,891 
			  198,131 
			  195,365 
			  194,564 
			   
			 Year ending 31 March 2011 370,429 
			  300,164 
			  293,885 
			  286,159 
			  283,629 
			  276,319 
			  266,489 
			  263,137 
			  258,352 
			  246,673 
			  238,326 
			  236,680 
			  236,535 
			  234,984 
			  234,252 
			  228,033 
			  222,132 
			  216,070 
			  215,707 
			  204,205 
			   
			 Year ending 31 March 2012 400,146 
			  328,698 
			  307,634 
			  289,098 
			  287,983 
			  271,998 
			  259,600 
			  244,644 
			  243,106 
			  243,065 
			  239,808 
			  239,367 
			  233,526 
			  232,475 
			  227,821 
			  224,857 
			  221,625 
			  219,492 
			  218,601 
			  215,617 
		
	
	These figures exclude lump sum payments made as a result of members sacrificing future pension payments in favour of an additional lump sum payment.

Teachers: Pensions

Chris Skidmore: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how much his Department has paid towards teachers' pensions through employer pension contributions in each year since 2000.

Nick Gibb: The following table provided details of the employer pension contributions paid into the scheme since 2000. The figures are based on the contributions shown in the Teachers' Pension Scheme (England and Wales) Annual Accounts, adjusted to exclude contributions paid by members and for contributions paid into the scheme by the independent schools sector.
	
		
			 Year ending 31 March Employer contributions (£ billion) 
			 2000 0.92 
			 2001 1.00 
			 2002 1.10 
			 2003 1.32 
			 2004 2.29 
			 2005 2.35 
			 2006 2.43 
			 2007 2.58 
			 2008 2.75 
			 2009 2.86 
			 2010 2.93 
			 2011 3.01 
			 2012 2.98 
		
	
	It has been assumed that 10% of the contributions received relate to the independent sector for each year. This is in line with current levels.

Teachers: Pensions

Chris Skidmore: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how much the Government will pay towards teachers' pensions in employer pension contributions in each of the next 10 years.

Nick Gibb: Contribution forecasts have only been calculated to year ending 31 March 2017. These are included in the following table and have been taken from the latest forecasts provided to the Office for Budgetary Responsibility (OBR). The OBR forecasts have been adjusted to take into account contributions received from the independent sector. These figures do not taken into account contribution changes that might occur as a result of changes to the Teachers' Pension Scheme as these are not yet known.
	
		
			 Year ending 31 March Employer contributions (£ billion) 
			 2013 3.00 
			 2014 3.03 
			 2015 3.11 
			 2016 3.20 
			 2017 3.30 
		
	
	It has been assumed that 10% of the contributions received relate to the independent sector for each year. This is in line with current levels.

Truancy: West Midlands

Bob Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether his Department has made an assessment of truancy rates in (a) primary schools and (b) secondary schools in (i) Coventry, (ii) Coventry North East constituency and (iii) the West Midlands in each of the last five years; and what steps he is taking to reduce truancy rates.

Nick Gibb: holding answer 28 June 2012
	The closest measure we have to assess truancy rates is the unauthorised absence rate. This includes family holidays taken during term time but not agreed by the head teacher, late arrival at school, and any absence that is not authorised.
	Information on unauthorised absence from 2006/07 to 2010/11 is shown in the table.
	
		
			 State-funded primary and secondary schools(1, 2, 3): Unauthorised absence rates. Academic years 2006/07-2010/11 (First 2.5 terms of the academic year). England, the West Midlands region, Coventry local authority and Coventry North East parliamentary constituency 
			 Unauthorised absence rate 
			  England West Midlands Coventry local authority Coventry North East parliamentary constituency 
			  State-funded primary schools(1, 2) State-funded secondary schools(1, 3) State-funded primary schools(1, 2) State-funded secondary schools(1, 3) State-funded primary schools(1, 2) State-funded secondary schools(1, 3) State-funded primary schools(1, 2) State-funded secondary schools(1, 3) 
			 2006/07 0.5 1.5 0.5 1.4 0.4 1.4 0.6 1.6 
			 2007/08 0.6 1.5 0.6 1.4 0.4 1.4 0.6 1.7 
			 2008/09 0.6 1.5 0.7 1.4 0.6 1.5 0.9 1.8 
			 2009/10 0.7 1.4 0.8 1.4 0.7 1.5 1.0 1.8 
			 2010/11 0.7 1.4 0.8 1.4 0.8 1.3 1.1 1.8 
			 (1) Includes middle schools as deemed. (2) Includes primary academies. (3) Includes city technology colleges and secondary academies. (4 )The number of sessions missed due to unauthorised absence expressed as a percentage of the total number of possible sessions. Source: School Census 
		
	
	The latest data on absence, for the school year, are published as Statistical First Release 04/2012 ‘Pupil Absence in Schools in England, Including Pupil Characteristics: 2010/11' at
	http://www.education.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s001060/index.shtml

World War I: Curriculum

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will make it his policy that the history of the First World War forms part of the national curriculum during the four years of the commemoration of the centenary; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Gibb: World war one is currently a compulsory part of the history curriculum in secondary schools. We are reviewing the national curriculum with the aim of focussing it on the body of essential knowledge in key subjects that all children need to learn. As part of the review we are considering which subjects, beyond English, mathematics, science and PE, should be part of the national curriculum in future and at which key stages.
	As part of our national commemoration of the centenary of world war one we will encourage all children and young people to understand its significance as an important part of our historical and cultural inheritance.

Young People: West Midlands

Karen Lumley: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what comparative assessment he has made of the proportion of young people (a) in the West Midlands and (b) nationally who are not in education, employment and training.

Tim Loughton: Official estimates of the number and proportion of 16 to 18-year-olds not in education, employment or training (NEET) in England are published by the Department in a Statistical First Release (SFR) each June and can be found on the Department's website:
	http://www.education.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s001072/index.shtml
	These estimates cannot be broken down below national level. However, local authorities collect information on the number and proportion of 16 to 18-year-olds NEET in each local area, which are published annually of the DFE website:
	http://www.education.gov.uk/16to19/participation/neet/a0064101/strategies-for-16-to-18-year-olds-not-in-education-employment-or-training-neet
	Figures for the West Midlands and England at the end of 2011 are shown in the following table.
	
		
			  16 to 18-year-olds NEET 
			  Number Proportion (percentage) 
			 West Midlands 12,170 6.2 
			 England 104,080 6.1 
		
	
	Due to methodological differences, the local authority estimates of NEET are lower than the official national estimates.

Young People: Yorkshire and Humber

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many and what proportion of young people aged (a) 16, (b) 17 and (c) 18 years living in (i) York and (ii) Yorkshire and the Humber were in (A) full-time education and (B) full-time education, employment or training in (1) 1992 and (2) each year since 1992.

Tim Loughton: Official estimates of the number and proportion of 16 to 18-year-olds in full-time education and work based learning in England are published by the Department in a Statistical First Release (SFR) each June and can be found on the Department's website:
	http://www.education.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s001011/index.shtml
	These estimates do not include young people undertaking employer-funded training or employment. However, information on a wider range of activities can be extracted from the databases maintained by local authorities to record young people's participation in education, training and employment. Figures for young people aged (a) 16, (b) 17 and (c) 18 years in (i) York and (ii) Yorkshire and the Humber are shown in the following tables. These data were not collected at local authority level before 2005.
	
		
			  Age 16(1) Age 17 Age 18 
			 As at December Count % Count % Count % 
			 York: 16,17 and 18-year-olds in full-time education       
			 2005 1,513 81 2,025 75 1,360 57 
			 2006 1,584 83 2,054 76 1,641 59 
			 2007 1,752 86 2,279 78 1,570 62 
			 2008 1,643 88 2,216 79 1,558 56 
			 2009 1,328 92 2,056 87 1,458 67 
			 2010 1,869 93 2,465 89 1,830 71 
			 2011(2) 1,130 87 1,635 82 1,247 65 
			        
			 York: 16, 17 and 18-year-olds in full-time education, employment or training       
			 2005 1,745 94 2,494 93 2,088 87 
			 2006 1,794 94 2,513 93 2,162 88 
			 2007 1,931 94 2,703 92 2,385 94 
			 2008 1,780 95 2,585 92 2,293 82 
			 2009 1,378 96 2,241 95 1,921 88 
			 2010 1,959 97 2,633 95 2,268 88 
			 2011(2) 1,229 94 1,841 93 1,645 86 
			        
			 Yorkshire and the Humber: 16,17 and 18-year-olds in full-time education       
			 2005 30,316 71 41,163 62 30,534 47 
			 2006 32,457 73 41,842 64 32,017 49 
			 2007 33,452 75 45,084 67 32,760 51 
			 2008 34,465 78 46,103 69 33,706 51 
			 2009 33,645 82 48,142 74 36,214 56 
			 2010 34,285 84 48,396 77 38,169 59 
			 2011(2,3) 31,842 84 44,829 82 36,534 61 
			        
			 Yorkshire and the Humber: 16, 17 and 18-year-olds in full-time education, employment or training       
			 2005 37,569 88 53,946 81 49,753 76 
			 2006 39,571 89 54,264 83 50,965 78 
			 2007 40,142 90 57,912 86 51,667 80 
			 2008 40,705 92 58,493 87 52,752 82 
		
	
	
		
			 2009 38,174 93 57,763 89 51,457 88 
			 2010 38,384 94 57,196 91 53,718 83 
			 2011(2,3) 35,782 94 52,293 93 48,381 81 
			 (1) Excludes young people aged 16 who are below the compulsory school leaving age. (2) Figures for 2011 relate to the local authority where the young person resides; earlier figures relate to the area where the young-person was in education. (3) Excludes East Riding of Yorkshire, who did not supply data.

Youth Custody

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many secure children's homes have (a) opened and (b) closed in each year since 2003; what the reason for opening or closing was in each case; how many homes remain open; and what plans his Department has to open or close any in the future.

Tim Loughton: In 2003 there were 28 secure children's homes in England. Since then no new homes have opened, while 12 homes have closed, of the 16 homes now in operation, 15 of these are provided by local authorities and the other by a charitable organisation.
	The following table shows the number of homes that closed in each year since 2003.
	
		
			 Closure of secure children's homes 2003-12 
			  Number of closures 
			 2003 1 
			 2004 3 
			 2005 2 
			 2006 1 
			 2007 .2 
			 2008 1 
			 2009 2 
			 2010 0 
			 2011 0 
		
	
	The Department does not keep a record of the reasons why individual homes have closed. But our understanding is that in most cases homes closed as the local authorities managing them reached a view that changes in professional practice and in how services were commissioned and funded meant that the provision of these very specialised high cost services ceased to be financially viable.
	The approval of the Secretary of State for Education, my right hon. Friend the Member for Surrey Heath (Michael Gove), must be secured before any children's homes can provide secure accommodation but the Department is not directly responsible for delivering these services. Any decision to establish a new secure children's home would be for local authorities or other potential providers of these services based on their assessment of the future market for these services.

CABINET OFFICE

Emigration

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many people emigrated from the UK in each of the last five years.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated July 2012
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to respond to your recent Parliamentary Question asking how many people emigrated from the UK in each of the last five years. (115500)
	The Office for National Statistics (ONS) produces estimates of long-term international migration, primarily based on the International Passenger Survey (IPS).
	Please find following a table showing emigration from the UK for the last five years:
	
		
			 Long-term International Migration: Emigration from the UK, 2006 to 2010 
			  Estimate 
			 2006 398,000 
			 2007 341,000 
			 2008 427,000 
			 2009 368,000 
			 2010 339,000 
		
	
	Long Term International Migration (LTIM) estimates are available on the ONS website:
	http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/migration1/long-term-international-migration/november-2010/long-term-international-migration-2-series.zip
	Please refer to Table 2.01a "LTIM Citizenship 1991 - 2010", which provide estimates of the number of people who have emigrated from the UK in each of the last five years.
	The IPS migrant data provide the foundation of the LTIM estimates with adjustments for asylum seekers, people whose intentions change with regard to their length of stay, and for international migration to and from Northern Ireland.
	Long-term international migration data produced by the ONS applies the UN definition of someone who moves from their country of previous residence for a period of at least a year, irrespective of citizenship.

Government: Pay

Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what guidance his Department has issued to Government departments and non-departmental public bodies on paying a living wage to all employees in the last 12 months.

Francis Maude: Departments, agencies and non-departmental public bodies have delegated authority to determine reward arrangements for their own staff below the senior civil service. These arrangements should meet their business needs and enable them to recruit, retain and motivate their workforce.

Public Expenditure

Nadine Dorries: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office whether his Department has any plans to fund social impact bonds.

Nick Hurd: Social impact bonds are a useful new tool for public service delivery, and the Government is keen to see more of them. The Cabinet Office is promoting the development of more social impact bonds in central and local government.
	The Ministry of Justice launched the world's first social impact bond in 2010, aiming to reduce reoffending among short-sentence prisoners released from Peterborough prison. The return for investors will depend on the degree of success in reducing reconvictions, up to an overall cap of around £8 million. The results for the first cohort will be known in 2014. The Department for Work and Pensions is supporting further social impact bonds under its Innovation Fund, targeting disadvantaged young people and those at risk of disadvantage. Six social investment projects have so far been selected for support. The available funding is up to £30 million over three years from 2012.

Public Sector: Procurement

Stephen McPartland: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what steps he is taking to encourage electronic procurement and invoicing across the public sector as a means of delivering cost savings and efficiency gains.

Francis Maude: The Government fully supports measures that simplify and streamline the procurement process, including the use of electronic procurement and invoicing. Under the principles of Lean Sourcing, all central Government procurements are required to use the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU) compliant e-sourcing tools to help manage the full process. If an organisation does not have access to its own e-sourcing tools, it can use those available through the Government Procurement Service.
	Additionally, issuing and responding to bids via our Dynamic Marketplace is done electronically, making the procurement process quicker and more cost-effective.

Voluntary Work

Robert Buckland: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what recent estimate his Department has made of the proportion of the population involved in volunteering.

Nick Hurd: The Data from the Citizenship Survey, last conducted by DCLG in 2010-11, show:
	25% take part in formal volunteering (which is classed as giving unpaid help through groups, clubs or organisations to benefit other people or the environment) once a month;
	39% take part in formal volunteering once a year;
	29% take part in informal volunteering (which is classed as giving unpaid help as an individual to people who are not relatives) once a month;
	55% take part in informal volunteering once a year.